Propinquity
by ipreferwestside
Summary: Castle is the Black Pawn wild child in danger of losing his contract. Beckett is the no-nonsense PR consultant hired to improve his image. Entry for the 2015 Castle Winter Hiatus Ficathon.
1. Chapter 1

**PROPINQUITY (noun):  
** affinity of nature; similarity

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

* * *

 _ **TROUBLE IN PARADISE?**_

 _Earlier today in New York City, mystery author Richard Castle was arrested and charged with public intoxication, indecent exposure, and theft of police property, when he stole a police horse and rode it around Central Park while drunk and in the nude. He's being held overnight and will be arraigned in the morning. Reports state that he used his phone call to contact his publisher, Gina Cowell from Black Pawn Publishing, but she refused to bail him out. If convicted of all charges, he could be facing up to 30 days in jail and a sizable fine. While money is not an issue for Mr. Castle, his reputation, and growing police record, does seem to be._

 _Could Black Pawn's refusal to grant Mr. Castle bail be an indicator of things to come? Are they finally fed up with his antics? Is there any hope for this bad boy after yet another embarrassing incident?_

* * *

"I mean it, Rick. We've been patient, we've been generous. We've given you access to some of the best lawyers money can buy. Your advance for the next two books was one of the highest advances in history. _History_ , Rick. But we're fed up. You're an embarrassment to your family, to yourself, and to Black Pawn."

Rick Castle groaned behind his sunglasses when his publisher threw the _New York Ledger_ 's Page Six onto the table in front of him. In addition to the article, a not-so-flattering mug shot accompanied another photo of him clumsily dismounting from the police horse. His crotch still ached from riding the damn animal.

Maybe being naked wasn't the best idea. Next time he should use some…padding.

Still, bruised ego – and testicles – aside, that had sure been a damn great bender. He'd _definitely_ be seeing those ladies again. (Who knew accountants could have so much damn fun?)

"Gina—" he started, tried to take off his sunglasses, but swore and slipped them back over his eyes when the light hit him. It was too damn bright and his head hurt too damn much for this conversation.

"Five thousand dollars, Rick," Gina Cowell snapped, a perfectly manicured finger stabbing the paper. "Five thousand fucking dollars, and now the lawyers have to figure out a way to plead out. You better hope they can still keep you out of jail."

"Help me out here, Paula." Castle shifted his attention to his publicist. "You can spin it, right? Make up some story that I was rejected, maybe I got dumped—"

"Not gonna happen," Paula Haas interrupted sharply. "I can't spin this. You're being absolutely killed in the press. They're comparing you to Robert Downey Jr. back in the day, and this mug shot isn't helping."

"You're my publicist—"

"And I've used up all your good will with the public."

"We're done, Rick," Gina chimed in again with authority. "I'm sure you don't remember this, but your contract has a behavioral clause. I've spoken to Black Pawn's lawyers, as well as the CEO. You're an embarrassment to the company, and we're not about to let you drag our name through the mud alongside your own."

Castle managed to take his sunglasses all the way off this time, fixing his stare on his ex-wife-slash-publisher. "What are you saying, Gina?"

"We've hired someone to get you in line."

"You tried that once already," he argued.

"Yeah, and it was going well until you fucked her."

"Paula." Gina shot a look at the publicist before turning her attention back to Castle. "Black Pawn is a well-respected establishment. We've hired a PR consultant who will work with Paula to clean up your act. I want to be very clear that I don't give a shit what you do in the comfort of your own home. But your public persona _will_ improve before _Storm's Last Stand_ is released, or you're gone, and you'll repay your advance for your next book."

Castle could only stare. "You can't do that."

Gina slid a short document across the table with a pen. "We can, and we did. If you refuse to sign this statement, we will fire you now, book or no book." She leaned closer and waited for Castle to lift his head, and she fixed her gaze on his. "Please sign it, Rick." Her voice was softer, almost pleading.

"Fine." He scrawled his signature at the bottom of the page and set the pen down with a sigh. "So, when does the unlucky person start?"

Gina nodded her head towards the door behind Castle. "Right now."

Castle turned his head - slowly - and froze when he saw the woman who had apparently snuck up behind him. She was tall, even taller with the high stilettos she was wearing, dressed impeccably in a fitted pencil skirt and blazer that accentuated her curves. He felt his mouth water; already he was imagining what it would be like to peel her clothes off, to trail his mouth down her slim figure, the calves he just knew would be smooth and strong under his touch…

"Mr. Castle, I presume," she said sharply, interrupting his thoughts.

He moved to stand, but the sudden movement had him groaning and clutching at his head. Maybe he should have taken that Aspirin after all. He didn't have to move, though, because the woman was taking a seat between Gina and Paula within moments. "I'm sorry, I seem to be at a disadvantage," he said after a moment, uncomfortable with the stare she'd fixed on him.

A perfectly sculpted eyebrow lifted at his words. "You seem to be at a lot of disadvantages, Mr. Castle."

 _Oh, that's how we're going to play it._ Castle smirked. "You seem to know my name, but I don't know yours."

"Would you even remember if I told you? Because by the looks of your eyes, you're going to have a hard time remembering this whole meeting."

Castle leaned back in his seat and regarded her. No, he was definitely _not_ going to forget her any time soon. "Try me," he answered, a challenge.

This time, both eyebrows lifted. "My name is Kate Beckett, Mr. Castle. I've been hired by Black Pawn to improve your image. I am very good at what I do, and I never fail." She leaned forward, clasping her hands on the table in front of her. "I want to be very clear that this relationship will never move past being professional."

"Wait-"

"I know what happened with the last person they hired. That will never happen. You will do what I say, when I say it, no questions asked."

Castle leaned forward himself, mirroring her pose. "Oh yeah? What makes you think I'll listen? I do whatever the hell I want."

The woman - Kate Beckett, he reminded himself - smirked. "We'll see about that."

* * *

 _Many thanks to Callie (whatifellinlovewith) for her beta work/brainstorming/encouragement with this fic._


	2. Chapter 2

**PROPINQUITY (noun):  
** affinity of nature; similarity

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO**

* * *

 _ **MYSTERY AUTHOR IN TROUBLE AGAIN**_

 _Richard Castle, best-selling mystery author and playboy extraordinaire, is in the hot seat again. PETA released a statement after last week's police horse incident condemning the author for "traumatizing an animal who is at the complete mercy of humans," and also sending a message to the NYPD pleading for them to "stop taking advantage" of the animals. Calls to the NYPD requesting a comment were not answered._

 _Black Pawn Publishing appears to have taken action on Mr. Castle's recent actions that suggest he may be on his way out. An anonymous source inside the company told us exclusively that they've hired PR consultant Kate Beckett to "work on his image," otherwise they have clause to drop him._

 _No word yet on how Ms. Beckett is going to improve his image. Just last night, he was spotted leaving a charity fundraising dinner with a trio of blondes accompanying him. One witness stated that he was "absolutely, and they'd been hanging off him all night."_

 _Ms. Beckett seems to have her hands full with this out of control bad boy._

* * *

The first week was a disaster, at least to Kate Beckett. Castle probably thought it was a riot, paparazzi catching him making out with not one, not two, but _three_ probably-barely-of-age ladies – more like _girls_ – that he'd picked up at the fundraising dinner for Robin Hood Foundation. A _charity,_ for Christ's sake.

She huffed and threw the paper to the other side of the counter. Her morning had started out like any other morning – not good, not bad, just routine – when she'd spotted the Page Six headline about her client. She'd been very clear that he was to keep a low profile at the event. No excessive drinking, no inappropriate comments, no flirting with anyone beside an assistant, who Kate had instructed to accompany him, to keep him in line.

So of course he ditched her as soon as he'd seen the younger, bustier, and _blonder_ ladies he'd spotted at the open bar. And he'd spent the rest of the evening flirting with them and suggesting that they accompany him back to his loft.

Apparently, they'd taken him up on the offer, if Page Six was to be believed.

Disgusted, Kate reached for her coffee pot and poured herself a second cup. Usually she's good with one, despite getting minimal sleep most nights, but she had a feeling she'd need the extra jolt from the caffeine today.

She didn't have a meeting scheduled with him originally, but after his ill-advised exploits of the previous night, she figured a last-minute call was just what the doctor ordered. Typically she'd have one of her assistants call her client to set something up ahead of time; no, this time she wanted to call him. She wanted to throw him off his game so he couldn't compose himself before seeing her, like he'd done the handful of times they'd met.

No, she didn't want him to be ready with his scripted answers and carefully planned appearance. After their initial meeting, he'd claimed that he would listen to her, do as she instructed in regards to repairing his reputation.

Obviously, he'd been full of shit, if his shenanigans from the previous night were any indication.

She studied his file for the hundredth time as she rode in her town car to the office. Single, no children, 38 years old (although he certainly didn't look it, she thought to herself). He was a longtime bachelor with one divorce 15 years before and no kids. The dossier she'd been given by Black Pawn was thin on his personal life, most everything being things that she could find out from his website.

What she needed to know what what made him act the way he did. What made him tick. What did he go to nightclubs instead of staying in? Why had he never settled down again after the disastrous less-than-a-year-long first marriage? Being in public relations, working directly with the clients, was part marketing, part psychology. Everyone had an underlying reason for acting like they did.

It was her job to find out what.

* * *

 _Katie had just drifted off to sleep when the sound of the door slamming shut woke her. She knew it was late and that her mom had been worried sick about her dad, and that she should just stay in her room. But she was also 16, practically an_ adult, _so she cracked open her bedroom door to try and listen._

 _Their voices were hushed, but she had good hearing, so she didn't have to go but a few steps down the hall to make out the words._

" _This is the third night this week, Jim," her mom hissed, and Katie could easily picture the set jaw and the glare that could make any defense attorney cower._

" _It's…I'm fine." Her dad's words came out slowly and slurred, and Katie knew that he was drunk again, that that's why her mom was so upset. Because he hadn't called, hadn't come home for hours, and when he finally did, he was like this. Her mom was right. It was the third time this week, not like Katie was counting._

 _But she was._

 _And she was heartbroken._

 _Her dad had always been strong, the pillar that supported her and her mom in good times and bad. As a corporate attorney, he worked more normal hours than her mom, so he'd always been home for dinner, or at least by Katie's bedtime._

 _Until lately._

" _What is it this time, Jim?" her mom continued, and Katie snuck farther down the hall so she could see her parents. Her dad was slumped in a chair at the dining room table, and her mom was standing over him, arms crossed, and Katie saw both anger and something else written over her features. Anger and...hurt._

 _Shit._

 _Suddenly she was pissed at her dad, wanted to jump out from her hiding place and yell at him too, for hurting her mom like that._

Dammit, Dad.

 _His head started to drop, but he caught it with his hand, propped it up with an elbow on the table. "Rough case," he mumbled, probably as an apology._

 _Katie rolled her eyes from the hallway. Both being lawyers, there was one thing her parents rarely did, and that was apologize outright for something._ Especially _if they knew they were in the wrong. When she looked back at her parents, she caught the end of her mom's eye roll._

" _That's not an excuse, Jim, and you know it. I'm tired of this. I'm tired of staying up worrying about you, wondering if you're lying dead in an alley somewhere. I'm tired of Katie glancing at your empty chair at dinner. This has to stop." She motioned towards the couch, but Katie could only see the back of it from her vantage point. "There's a blanket and the garbage can in case you get sick. We'll talk in the morning."_

 _Katie scrambled back to her room and pretended that she didn't hear the sob from her mom, or the muttered "I love you, Jo" from her dad. She just burrowed back under the covers and tried to forget._

* * *

Kate rarely visited her clients at home. She almost always had them come into her office, or she would visit them at theirs, but Castle appeared to be a special case. No kids gloves with him: if he wouldn't listen to her when they were in a professional setting, she was going to make it personal. So she had her driver take her to his building, a SoHo building that from the outside looked low key, although nice. Judging by the man's personality, however, his apartment was probably swanky.

She introduced herself to the doorman, who let her up with almost no hesitation after she mentioned that she was working with Gina and Paula. Obviously those two ladies were frequent visitors to Castle's home, Kate surmised.

She wondered if Castle had slept with either of them. Hell, maybe both.

In the elevator, Kate briefly doubted her decision not to call before arriving at his doorstep. It was very likely that the trio of blondes he left with could still be there, that she could be interrupting something. But she stepped onto his floor anyway and strode to his door with confidence. She paused for a moment and listened; she didn't hear anything, so she knocked on the door with several loud raps.

A few minutes passed with no sound from the other side, and she'd just pulled her phone from her purse to call him when she finally heard footsteps and a muffled "I'm coming!"

The door opened to a very ragged-looking Castle, hair sticking up in every direction, eyes bloodshot, and several days worth of scruff on his face. He blinked several times, as if to bring himself back to awareness, and squinted. "Why are you knocking so loud?"

 _Hungover. Fine._ Kate seethed, and shoved the paper in his chest as she barged past him into his apartment. She couldn't help but glance around; it was decorated surprisingly tastefully, stylish and modern, not what she was expecting. She did expect the size, although her penthouse on the Upper West Side was equally impressive.

"You should be proud of yourself," she snapped, turning on her heel, while she tried to level him with her stare.

Castle skimmed the contents of Page Six, his lips turning up as he read it. "Trio of blondes," he muttered quietly, wistfully.

"What was that?"

Castle glanced up at her, a smile on his face. "The trio of blondes. Worth every penny."

Kate's jaw dropped. Really, she shouldn't be surprised that they were, well, paid escorts. That, however, had escaped the knowledge of her assistant. She'd have to talk to Ann. "Worth every...Mr. Castle, do you know what you've done?"

"Yeah." He chuckled, and shifted his gaze back to his bedroom, his gaze wistful, as if he's remembering. "I know ex _actly_ what I've done. I was drunk, but not _that_ drunk."

Kate snapped her fingers in front of his face to bring his attention back to her. "You got wasted. At a _charity fundraiser._ A charity that fights _poverty,_ Castle. You drank hundreds of dollars worth of booze, and left with three women who were apparently paid escorts. _Prostitutes,_ Castle. Do you know what kind of damage control I have to do now?"

"Good thing that's your job," he retorted, slipping past her into the kitchen, where he turned on his coffee maker.

"Where are these escorts, anyway?"

"Oh, they're gone. Left after we were done."

Kate's eyebrows shot up at that. "What, were they too expensive to stay all night?"

"God, no. I haven't had a woman stay the night in years. No, but I think I underpaid them for what they did." The coffee brewed quickly, and Castle poured a little cream and sugar in before he drank the whole mug in a few large gulps. "Fuck, that's better," he said after a minute. "At one point, I was tied up, and all three of them were-"

"Castle," Kate interrupted, and kept talking even as he poured himself a second mug. "You _cannot_ pull stunts like this when I'm around. Do you understand that? I can't do my job if you keep doing this kind of shit. The press will eat you up."

"That isn't exactly a bad thing..."

"Oh my God. Fine. Do whatever the hell you want, okay?" She moved to the door, grabbing the paper on her way past the kitchen island. "But one of these days it will bite you in the ass."

"You know, that's actually very plea-"

"I don't want to hear it." She paused at the door, one hand on the handle, and glared at him. "You have a meeting with Gina at 1. And don't think she won't know about this shit. You better not be late."

And with that, she left.

* * *

 _A/N: Thank you for your support/reviews/tweets/etc from the first chapter! And thanks to Callie for all of her help!_


	3. Chapter 3

**PROPINQUITY (noun):  
** affinity of nature; similarity

* * *

 **CHAPTER THREE**

* * *

 _ **THINGS LOOKING UP FOR AUTHOR?**_

 _Earlier today in New York City's criminal courthouse, author Richard Castle pled guilty to charges of public intoxication, indecent exposure, and theft of police property. These charges stemmed from an incident three weeks ago in which he drunkenly stole an NYPD police horse and rode it through Central Park, while nude. Sources state his guilty plea came with a $10,000 fine. He will also have to serve 500 hours of community service. Details regarding the community service were not available._

 _Meanwhile, Mr. Castle has been laying low, mostly staying out of the spotlight since his last incident at the Robin Hood Foundation's annual fundraising gala two weeks ago involving three paid escorts._

 _Is the bad boy author finally turning over a new leaf? Or will he revert back to his old ways now that the naked police horse incident is, well, behind him?_

* * *

"I swear to God, Mom, I know he's your favorite author and all, but you'd change your mind if you met him." Kate groaned when she slipped off her shoes, sinking the four inches the heels had added. She shivered; it was early June, but the New York summer hadn't quite arrived, and she snagged a pair of socks from her entryway bureau to slip over her chilled feet.

"You forget that I _have_ met him."

Kate heard the smile in her mom's voice, and she couldn't help but smile as well. Her mom had gone to almost every one of Castle's book signings, and Kate had accompanied her to one, but not met the author herself. Besides that one, though, and a second one several years prior that Johanna had missed due to a case involving a slain FBI agent, Johanna Beckett had attended every single book signing. And she'd squealed - actually squealed - when Kate had told her that he was her new client.

"This is different," Kate insisted. " _He's_ different. He's arrogant, and childish, and such a jackass."

"Who writes great books."

"Mom, I'm serious."

"Me too." There was no more teasing in Johanna's voice. "Katie, listen to me. Jackass or not, the man is a great writer, and he's been fairly professional at his signings. It's your job to improve his image, right? So Black Pawn doesn't dump him?"

"Yeah."

"So improve his image."

"It's just…" Kate trailed off and plopped onto the couch, bringing her free arm up to cover her eyes. She was 28-years-old, extremely successful in her budding career, yet she knew she could count on her mom to tell her what she needed to hear. _Especially_ when it was something she already knew but was too stubborn to acknowledge. "He's _impossible_ to work with. He argues at every turn, refuses to listen, then doesn't understand why people get upset. It's infuriating."

Johanna smiled. "You like him."

"No I don't. I can't stand him. If they weren't paying me so much I'd quit."

"I don't think you would, Kate," Johanna retorted. "You've never backed down from a challenge. _Ever._ And I don't expect you to now. Just give it time, sweetie. You'll get there. In the meantime, do you think you can get me an advance copy of his next book?"

"Mom!"

* * *

A few mornings later, she was winding down her daily post-treadmill yoga routine, enjoying the silence when her phone buzzed. Normally she didn't answer it; her assistants were all under strict instructions not to call between 5 and 6 in the morning unless it was an absolute emergency. It was the one hour in the day she allowed herself for complete isolation. But when she glanced at the screen and saw her partner's name, she unfolded her legs and grabbed it before it went to voicemail.

"Lanie," she says by way of greeting, a little out of breath from holding some of the more difficult poses. Yoga helped calm her down after her run, but it was still a workout in and of itself. "What's wrong?"

Lanie Parish sighed. "Have you read the paper?"

"Not yet, why?"

"Your boy's in it again."

"Shit," Kate muttered under her breath, and moved into the kitchen, where she'd dropped the _Ledger_ after snagging it from her doorstep. She immediately turned to Page Six, and swore again when she saw yet another unflattering mug shot of one Richard Castle. She skimmed the accompanying blurb, her mouth dropping at the words. "This is a joke, right?"

"Nope. Javi confirmed it, too. Apparently Writer Boy's the talk of his precinct. They're taking bets on whether or not he'll get jail time."

Kate groaned and leaned over the counter, suddenly nauseous. She wasn't a lawyer - Castle had those already, civil and criminal - but she knew this was bad. "What the hell am I going to do with him?"

"Beats the hell out of me, Kate. But you should probably call his lawyer and get Castle out of there."

"Fuck." She hung up and jumped in the shower, called Gina while she was getting dressed. She knew the publisher wouldn't be happy, but Gina was absolutely livid.

"It's your job to keep him _out_ of trouble, Kate," Gina snapped. "But he's been in more trouble since we hired you than he has in the past year."

"I know, Gina," Kate responded, slipping her shoes on. "I'm on my way to talk to his lawyer now, see if we can get him out right after his bail hearing."

"You better. You're supposed to be the best, Ms. Beckett. Don't make me regret hiring you."

* * *

After a short meeting, Kate accompanied Castle's lawyer to the Twelfth precinct, where Castle was being held. She was absolutely fuming; Castle had promised her no more shenanigans, but the NYPD didn't treat public urination lightly.

Especially considering _where_ he'd done it.

Kate said nothing in the two hours before the bail hearing; she simply sat and glared at her client while he boasted about the fun he'd had the previous night.

She didn't say anything until after he was released on bail, and by the time they got back to the lawyer's office, Castle was practically dead on his feet. Her anger had slowly dissipated from wanting to strangle her client to simply wanting to punch him, but she was still pissed. Pissed enough that she was tempted to let Castle get home on his own, despite the obvious hangover that had him groaning and squinting his eyes against every little noise.

The doorman to Castle's building, Eduardo, she'd learned the week before, helped wrestle Castle from the car and get him to the elevator. Castle was half-conscious by that time, the brief car ride apparently long enough to lull him partially to sleep. Kate managed to keep him awake as she accompanied him to his floor; after all, there was no point in adding "Author Blacks Out in Own Elevator" to the tabloid's headline possibilities.

"Come on, Castle," she commanded when the elevator stopped at his floor, her tone sharp as she grabbed his arm. "Let's get you to bed."

Castle bent down slightly, his forehead finding the crown of her head. "You gonna join me, Kate?" he asked, his words slightly slurred. His hand found its way to her ass and he squeezed, chuckling at her surprised yelp.

Kate winced, the stench from his partying and resulting overnight stay in jail invading her senses even more than it already had.

The man needed a shower.

She managed to breathe through her mouth even as she led him to his door. Last time she was here she'd insisted on knowing where the spare key was, and she was pleased to find out he hadn't moved it. "When hell freezes over," she retorted as she let them in. She let go of his arm and pushed him in the direction of what she assumed was his bedroom. "Now, shower and get some sleep. I'm sure Gina will want to see you later."

* * *

After a brief stop at home to change - she felt disgusting after having Castle leaning against her - she headed to Black Pawn to meet with Gina. The woman wasn't very pleased with her, and Kate couldn't blame her; after all, Castle had been her client for three weeks, and very little had changed. If anything, the public perception of him had gotten worse.

"What now, Kate?" Gina snapped as soon as she closed the conference room door, before either of them even sat down. "How are you going to fix this?"

Kate took her place opposite Gina and folded her hands on the table in front of her. "I have a call in to-" She was interrupted by her phone, and when she read the caller ID, she picked it up. "Speaking of. This is Kate Beckett," she said into the phone.

"Ms. Beckett, this is Elizabeth Adams, I am the head of the New York chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. I'd like to talk to you about Richard Castle."

Kate nodded, even though the older-sounding woman couldn't see her. "Yes, thank you for getting back to me. I would like to apologize on behalf of Mr. Castle for his actions. What he did is despicable, and my partner is preparing a contract stating that he will pay for cleaning and potential repairs to the tombstone."

"We'd like for him to do more," the other woman said sharply. "We have a fundraiser this weekend, and we've decided to drop the charges if he agrees to be the keynote speaker. And behaves, of course."

Kate managed to repress the relieved sigh that threatened to escape. "That's very generous, Ms. Adams. When can you meet to discuss the details?"

"As soon as you can be here."

Kate wrote down the address she was given, looking up at Gina when she hung up. "They'll drop the charges if Castle helps them fundraise," she explained.

One of Gina's eyebrows lifted. "That's good. You go with him and keep him in line. Make sure he doesn't make an ass of himself like he did last time. And Kate?" she continued when Kate stood to leave.

"Hmm?"

"Keep him away from the paid escorts."

"I'll do my best." Kate was walking through the lobby when she spotted Castle stepping through the doors. He looked a little better than he had earlier that morning; he'd cleaned up, although the sunglasses he wore probably helped stave off the effects of the hangover she was sure lingered. "Come on, Castle," she snapped at him, grabbing the sleeve of his sweater on her way by.

Castle stumbled a little at the abrupt change in direction, but regained his balance quickly. "I have a meeting with Gina," he protested, but Kate kept walking, her fingers curled in his sleeve.

"Nope, you're coming with me." She shoved him into her waiting town car and slid in next to him, gave the driver the address.

"Where are we going?"

"Your little stunt last night was embarrassing."

"I'm sorry if you're embarrassed-"

Kate scoffed and turned to glare at him. "Me? Oh, _I'm_ not embarrassed. But you should be. You're lucky, though, because you might be able to get off charge-free on this one. The DAR is willing to drop charges if you attend their fundraiser this weekend. You'll also be paying for cleaning and any potential repairs."

"DAR?"

"Daughters of the American Revolution. You pissed them off."

"That's it? Just smooch and kiss the asses of some old ladies obsessed with the past?"

Kate shot him another look as the car pulled up to an office building on the Lower East Side. "You got drunk and pissed on the grave of Alexander Hamilton, Castle. A _Founding Father._ You're lucky if that's all you have to." She barely waited for him to catch up with her when she walked into the lobby. "You're also lucky I bailed you out, otherwise you'd probably still be in jail, waiting for arraignment."

Castle stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, and she turned her head to see him staring at her with confusion, and maybe a little wonder, spread across his features. " _You_ bailed me out?"

"Don't worry. Castle. It's been added to your invoice, a portion of which I'm sure Black Pawn will be happy to pass on to you." She plucked his hand off her shoulder and turned her back to him again, expecting him to follow. She heard his shoes fall into step behind her; good, maybe the man was learning. "Just sit back and let me do my job."

* * *

"...and with that, I implore you to find room in your hearts, and wallets, to donate. Whether you donate your money, time, or simply spread the word, it will help the DAR ensure the continued survival to some of the most important landmarks that help tell the story of our great country. Thank you."

Kate stood at the back of the room as the attendees of the dinner applauded, her arms crossed, but her lips flirted with a smile. The speech that Castle had prepared was surprisingly eloquent; when he'd been told he would be the keynote speaker, he'd scoffed, but had agreed once he'd been reminded of potential jail time if he didn't.

Of course, his finding out that the DAR was not only made up of, "old ladies obsessed with the American Revolution," as he'd put it, helped. While the New York City chapter's president was a woman in her sixties who reminded Kate of her stern high school English teacher, the rest of the board was made up of a fairly equal blend of women approaching retirement age, and young women in their twenties and thirties.

And Castle had flirted with each and every one of them.

She watched as he shook hands and made his way across the room. True to his word, he hadn't had a drop of alcohol to drink, and his smile had none of the insincerity she'd seen during their various meetings with Gina and Paula. It looked genuine, and even from several yards away she could see the way it lit up his face as he laughed and talked with the women surrounding him.

She glanced over at the bar, itching for a glass of something, even champagne. She wouldn't, though; not only was she technically working, but if she had a glass now, it would simply be to give her hands something to do. And while she did drink, mostly socially, she refused to use it as a coping mechanism.

She'd seen, first-hand, the damage it could do.

Kate was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear or see Castle approach her, and she jumped when his fingertips brushed against her bare arm. "Jesus, Castle," she breathed, fixing a glare in his direction.

Castle cocked an eyebrow. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he responded, his voice a little sharp, almost defensive.

Kate just rolled her eyes. "You didn't. Just startled me. Your speech was nice," she said to change the subject.

"Yeah, well, reading shit I write is just part of the job." His gaze roamed the room briefly before settling back to her.

"Nice." Kate shifted to try to stretch her back a little, and didn't miss the way Castle's eyes darkened and flicked down her body. The dinner was a formal affair, and she was dressed in a long, blue ballgown, strapless, with a slight shimmer when she moved. Castle had simply blinked at her when she'd shown up at his door, and she tried to ignore how good he looked in his tux, tailored perfectly around his broad shoulders.

"So, what now?" Castle asked after a few moments. His speech had been towards the beginning of the event; a silent auction would follow, but his speaking duties were done for the night. All that was expected of him was to schmooze, and presumably write a check.

"Now-" Kate pushed herself off of the wall and headed towards the silent auction table. "You open your checkbook."

After the results of the silent auction were announced - although he hadn't won anything, Castle agreed to donate the amount of his bids regardless - Kate collected him from where he flirted with a handful of young ladies, and herded him out to their waiting limo.

"Where to now?" Castle asked as they slid inside, bouncing slightly in his seat like an excited boy.

Kate shut the door behind her and settle in for the short ride to his building. "I'm taking you home."

Castle winked at her. "Taking me home, huh? Your place or mine?" At Kate's glare, he simply shifted closer so his thigh rested against hers. "Come on, Kate. You were checking me out tonight. Don't say you're not even thinking about it."

"Yeah right."

"You're not even a little curious to see if those pictures from my naked arrest measure up to the...real thing?"

Kate scoffed and turned to look out the window at the city passing them by. "In your dreams, Castle."

"Look at my life," he retorted, holding his arms out. "My dreams come true."

"Fuck you."

"Some day, Kate."

* * *

 _A/N: As usual, many thanks to everyone who's taken the time to read/leave feedback, and my debt to Callie for betaing can never be repaid, but I will try._


	4. Chapter 4

**PROPINQUITY (noun):  
** affinity of nature; similarity

* * *

 **CHAPTER FOUR**

* * *

 _ **AUTHOR TURNING THE PAGE ON HIS PAST?**_

 _Last night in New York City, author Richard Castle attended a fundraising event for the Daughters of the American Revolution, also delivering the keynote speech. He spent most of his time chatting and smiling with several ladies who attended, but none of them accompanied him home._

 _Instead, he was spotted sharing a limo with Kate Beckett, the PR consultant who was hired to improve his image._

 _If the rumors are true, it looks like she's doing more than just that. Could she be the one to finally tame him?_

* * *

"Son of a bitch."

"Come on, Kate. It's not that bad."

"Not that bad?" Kate rolled her eyes. "I have a reputation to uphold. If people start thinking that I'm going to jump in bed with my clients, they'll wonder if that would get in the way of me doing my job. I can't have that. I've worked too hard to get where I am to have some media assumptions fuck it all up."

Lanie shrugged. "It'll be fine, Kate. Your reputation is rock solid. I don't think you have anything to worry about." She grinned. "Besides, he'll be photographed with another woman soon enough and they'll forget about you."

Kate shot her partner and best friend a look as she wore a trail in front of her desk. "No, they'll just assume he's stepping out on me and that I can't rein him in."

"Kate-"

"I don't know what to do, Lanie. Last night at the dinner he was almost...sweet. Normal. Flirty, yes. But he wasn't off getting wasted or picking up hookers."

"Paid escorts."

"Whatever. My point is, I thought that maybe he was getting the picture. But when I called him this morning to let him know the _Ledger_ was going to print a redaction he just laughed and asked if I was afraid of a little publicity." She grabbed a bottle of water from the sidebar against the wall. "He's absolutely infuriating. This whole thing is."

This was not the first time she'd been in the paper. Her clients were all high-profile, and if she was out with one of them, her picture almost always ended up in the paper. It was also not the first time that she'd been labeled as the girlfriend; it was, however, the first time she'd felt this annoyed about it.

Where the hell did they get off insinuating that she and Castle were an item? She was a professional. She didn't sleep with her clients, ever. Not while she worked with them, not even after. She'd built her reputation on success and professionalism, which was one reason Black Pawn had hired her. The last thing she needed was for some gossip rag to start making false assumptions. Reputation was everything in this world, in every world. She'd seen that with celebrities, with friends, even with her own family.

* * *

" _You_ what _?!"_

 _Katie was woken by the sound of her mom's voice, loud even from the living room of their large apartment. She glimpsed at the clock when she rolled over and quietly groaned. 3:27am. If she had to guess, her dad had just gotten home._

 _Again._

 _She really shouldn't eavesdrop; she had a presentation in just a few short hours during first period, and she had to do well. Otherwise her mom would kill her for getting a bad grade, especially since it was English, which had always been one of her better subjects._

 _But she couldn't resist. So she slowly opened the door, twisting the knob slow enough so it didn't make a noise. She stayed along the wall, expertly avoiding the floorboard that creaked, and tucking herself against the wall at the end of the hall, where she could hear her parents perfectly._

" _How the hell could you let this happen, Jim?"_

 _Katie peeked around the corner. Her dad was sitting at the kitchen table, his head in his hands, shoulders shaking. Her mom, on the other hand, was on the opposite side of the kitchen, as far from him as she could get. Even from here, Katie could see that she was crying._

 _What the hell had happened?_

" _I'm sorry, Jo." Her dad's voice was quiet and trembled; it was nothing like the strong, firm way he usually sounded._

 _He'd been going out more and more after work, getting home later and later, so Katie hadn't been surprised when she'd gone to bed and he wasn't home yet. She knew it upset her mom; going out after a successful - or not successful - case was practically a job requirement, but Katie had a feeling that her dad wasn't always being joined by anyone else. And over the previous month he'd come home drunk almost every night._

 _But tonight felt different._

" _I didn't mean for this to happen."_

 _Johanna scoffed, and Katie saw her roll her eyes, a trait that had been passed onto her. "But it did happen, Jim. Scott called me, did you know that? He called because he was worried about you, about how you'd take it. He told me that he'd told you to just come home." She crossed her arms. "But of course you had to go to the bar."_

" _Wasn't just at the bar," Jim protested quietly. "Walked around first. Tried to clear my head."_

" _No, but you ended up there, drinking your night away, instead of coming home to your family. That's the same shit that caused this. I've tried to shelter Katie from this. But you were drunk at a_ deposition, _Jim! Do you know what could happen?"_

" _I didn't think-"_

" _No, you_ didn't _think!" Katie heard a sigh, then the cabinet door open, the clink of a glass and the water faucet being turned on. "I'm going to bed. You can figure out how to tell our daughter that you lost your job. And tomorrow we're looking into rehab."_

* * *

"You've arranged for what?!"

Kate's eyebrows flew up at Castle's outburst. She hadn't expected any resistance; she'd arranged a visit to the children's section at New York Presbyterian Hospital, but as soon as she's mentioned it his face had hardened. The ever-present twinkle in his eye had immediately disappeared, and he'd frozen, the hand reaching for a coffee mug suspended in mid-air for a few moments as he'd simply blinked at her.

"I won't," Castle insisted, taking out his mug, and turning his gaze from Kate to focus on making his coffee. "I won't do it. You'll have to find something else."

"They're kids, Castle," Kate argued, leaning forward against the counter, leaning her elbows on the granite surface. "Kids. In the hospital. How the hell can you say no?"

Castle shrugged. "By saying no. Look, I feel bad, I really do. I'll send the hospital a sizeable donation. But I will not set foot in that building."

"Why not?" she pushed. Her minor in psychology had taught her how to read people, and he was hiding something. His brow was pinched, and his motions were slightly jerky, not fluid like usual. He was a big man, tall and broad, but his mother had been an actress and a dancer, so he did have some natural grace that showed in his movements. But there was none of that this morning. "Come on, Castle. Why not? What do you have against it?"

"Nothing." Castle slammed his mug onto the counter, causing some coffee to splash over the rim and Kate to jump. He turned to her, and Kate took an impulsive step back when she saw the fire in his eyes. "I don't have anything against going. But I. Won't. Do. It. Period. End of story."

Kate raised her hands in surrender. "Alright, fine. Let me make a few calls, set something else up." She grabbed her phone and headed back towards the door. "Keep your phone on. I'll call you in a bit."

She called Lanie on her way back to the office. "I need to get in touch with someone with the NYPD Widow's and Children's fund. Can you call Javi, get a name and number for me?"

"You got it."

"Thanks. I need to stop for coffee." Kate slid into her waiting town car and instructed her driver to take her to the closest cafe. "I'll be back in a little bit."

Her phone rang again when she was just getting her coffee; after a quick glance at the caller ID, she rolled her eyes, but a smile on her lips as she answered. _Took her long enough._ "Hi, Mom."

"Katie, I just saw the paper. Is it true?"

"You know better than to trust everything on Page Six, Mom." Kate slid into a free table in the corner, away from prying ears. "I went with him to keep him from making an ass of himself, that's all. We are not now, or ever will be, together."

"Yeah right. You did actually _see_ the picture, right?"

Kate pressed her passion against her forehead, trying to counteract the headache that had been forming for most of the morning. "Yes, Mom, I saw the picture."

It had been taken when she and Castle were leaving the DAR dinner; he'd held the limo for open for her, and had made some smart-ass comment about finding another tombstone to pee on. She'd chuckled in spite of herself, and the photographer had managed to snap the brief moment where her face was split with a wide grin. To make it worse, Castle was staring at her, a smile on his face as well, and the two of them looked positively happy.

No wonder people thought they were together.

"You can't look at it and say people are completely off-base." Kate could hear the smile in her mom's voice even over the phone. "The way that man was looking at you? Katie." Johanna tutted. "Just keep an open mind, okay?"

"I'm hanging up now, Mom."

"Whoa, hang on," Johanna interrupted. "Did he not actually like the publicity? I figured with his reputation, he'd be thrilled to be linked in the tabloids with you. Your nose is about as clean as they come."

"Now that you mention it, he did act weird when I saw him this morning." Kate settled back in her chair and took a sip of her latte. "I arranged for him to go to the Children's Hospital, and he completely flipped out. Said he absolutely refused, wouldn't even talk about it. I mean he's a complete jackass, but to refuse to visit sick kids?"

"Maybe he just doesn't like kids?" Johanna offered. "No, he's good with them at his signings." She paused. "I don't know, Katie. Look, you're doing a great job. He'll get there."

* * *

"What are we doing here, again?" Castle asked the following weekend as he fiddled with his bow tie.

Kate sighed in exasperation and reached across the seat. Her nimble fingers untied the knot, then worked on retying it before they arrived at their destination. "It's the NYPD Widows and Children's Fund. They raise money for-"

"The loved ones of police, fire, first responders, and the like, who are killed. I know _where_ we're going. I just don't know _why._ "

"Well, after you so gracefully bowed out of the hospital," Kate responded, sarcasm dripping from her words, "I needed to arrange something for you to save face."

Castle huffed. "Which we wouldn't have to do if the hospital hadn't leaked it."

"I took care of that." The hospital had been less than thrilled when she'd had to tell them Castle wasn't coming as promised. Luckily, Lanie was close friends with the Chief of Pediatrics, so she was able to smooth things over, to a point. The large check Castle wrote did a lot of damage control as well. But attending this benefit would earn a lot more bonus points. Plus, it was for a good cause.

The limo pulled to a stop just as Kate finished straightening Castle's tie, and she steeled herself for the onslaught of cameras and reporters. She could handle them, of course, but she had to be careful not to give them any more reason to think her and Castle were a couple. So she deliberately kept her eyes off of him, no matter how much she wanted to stare at him in his tux. It was perfectly tailored to fit his broad shoulders and slim waist, and she was sure his ass looked good too. But there was no way in hell she'd look...at least, not with all these reporters around.

She'd sneak a peek later.

"Mr. Castle, are you and Ms. Beckett seeing each other?"

"Mr. Castle, why are you supporting this particular cause?"

"Mr. Castle, what happened with the children's hospital?"

The last question had Kate stopping in her tracks. _How did they-_ "Mr. Castle won't be answering any questions tonight. He's here to support-"

"No, Kate, it's fine," Castle interrupted, lifting a hand. He turned to the reporter who asked the question about the hospital and spoke directly into the microphone, leaving no room for doubt as to his words. "Unfortunately, I was unable to honor my commitment to visit the children at the hospital for personal reasons. While I deeply regret it, my reasons will remain private. I made a donation in lieu of my visit, and while no amount of money can ever replace the pain and suffering that those families go through, hopefully it can help the hospital make the stays just a little bit easier. Thank you."

Kate just stared as Castle turned and walked into the building. She blinked for a few moments, ignoring the commotion around her, before the same reporter knocked her out of her reverie.

"Ms. Beckett, what do you have to say about rumors that you and Mr. Castle are an item?"

Kate glared at him for a moment before answering. "Those rumors are just that, rumors. Mr. Castle and I are not seeing each other except in the capacity of work. Good night."

She looked around for Castle as soon as she made it inside, and saw him talking to Lanie, Lanie's boyfriend Javi, and another man she didn't recognize. She gave a disapproving look to the champagne glass in Castle's hand, but he took a small sip, instead of throwing the whole glass back like she'd expected.

"Just the one glass," he explained, tipping it towards her in greeting.

Kate lifted an eyebrow. "I'll hold you to that. Hey, Lanie, Javi."

"Hi, Kate," Javi greeted her warmly. She'd only met him a couple times; he and Lanie had been on again-off again a few times, but he seemed nice enough, if a little commitment-phobic. Then again, Lanie liked to keep her options open, so maybe they were a perfect fit.

Kate turned to the stranger. "Hi, Kate Beckett."

"Roy Montgomery." The handshake was firm, but not overpowering, and while he exuded professionalism, Kate sensed a niceness to him as well. He seemed approachable. "Captain of the Twelfth precinct. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Kate responded with a nod. "I think my mom's worked with you before. Johanna Beckett?"

Roy smiled. "I thought you looked familiar, besides what I've seen of you in the papers, of course." He winked. "Rumor has it you might actually be taming Mr. Wild Child here. My precinct was a bit of a circus after your naked horse riding stunt, Mr. Castle," he teased, turning his attention to the writer.

Castle flushed. "Well, those days should be over," he admitted, stuttering a little. "Riding a horse while naked is not as fun as it sounds." He turned closer to Roy, putting his hand on the other man's shoulder. "You know, since we're talking, I was wondering if I could run something by you, about some potential characters I'm thinking of writing…"

Kate tuned him out and turned her attention to Lanie and Javi. As much as she struggled, and at times despised, working with the man, she still enjoyed his books, and didn't want to be spoiled about anything. "Has he behaved himself so far?" she asked both of them, and received nods in response.

"He was only in here a couple minutes before you joined us," Lanie pointed out with a shrug. "He couldn't have gotten into a lot of trouble, especially when he'd have to deal with you."

Kate scoffed. "Yeah, because I've had so much influence on him." She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to find Castle waving his arms animatedly while talking to Captain Montgomery, and she just stared at him for a few moments. He had a smile tugging at his lips, his eyes shining with excitement she hadn't seen before, and when he turned his head and saw Kate watching him, his face brightened. Kate felt a blush creep up her cheeks; she hadn't seen a guy look that happy around her in years, not since Will had left.

"Kate!"

She turned to see Lanie staring at her, amusement written all over her features. "Hmm?"

Lanie rolled her eyes. "Okay I know you have standards, which are admirable. And you know I wouldn't normally tell you to go for it with a client. But if you don't jump his bones soon, you're going to give yourself an ulcer."

"Lanie."

"I'm just saying! Javi, will you go get me a drink?"

"You got it. Kate?"

"Nothing, thanks though." She turned back to Lanie as soon as Javi was gone, and found her best friend with an eyebrow raised and a smirk on her lips. "What?"

Lanie crossed her arms. "We've been friends a long time, Kate. I know your tells. Will left what, two years ago?"

"Three," Kate mumbled.

"Three! And have you been with anyone since?"

"There was that one guy-"

"Yeah, Mr. Didn't-even-leave-his-number. And that was over a year ago. You're overdue. And the way Castle looks at you?" She continued before Kate could interrupt. "He likes you, Kate."

"Yeah, right." Kate broke down and grabbed a champagne flute when a waiter passed by and downed it in one drink. "He just wants to add another notch on his bedpost."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Lanie took the empty glass from Kate's hand and handed it to Javi when he returned with his drinks. "Just think about it, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever." She watched as Lanie and Javi walked away, presumably to either mingle or dance, leaving her alone with her thoughts. First her mom, then Lanie? Worst thing was, she wasn't entirely against the idea.

Good Lord, what was wrong with her?

* * *

 _A/N: As always, many thanks to Callie for her beta/encouragement/pom poms! And thanks to you readers for spurring me on!_


	5. Chapter 5

**PROPINQUITY (noun):  
** affinity of nature; similarity

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIVE**

* * *

Kate was getting increasingly frustrated as the morning went on. She'd been trying to reach Castle for almost two hours, needing to confirm another fundraiser, and he wasn't answering any of her calls. He hadn't been in the paper since the NYPD event two weeks ago, and while that was technically a good thing, it still made her mad when he didn't answer his phone.

As far as she knew, he could be shacking up with someone, probably paid, maybe more than one, and just keeping it quiet. That made her more nervous than him acting out in public, because he at least had some filter when he was in the public eye. But at home? He could do just about anything, and no one would be wiser until it hit Page Six. And everything inevitably did.

Finally, shortly after 9, her phone rang, and she snatched it up without even looking at the caller. "Kate Beckett," she snapped.

"Ms. Beckett, it's Matthew Brewer, Mr. Castle's lawyer."

Kate sat up straight. _Shit_. She'd only talked to him a few times, but any time she got a call from a client's lawyer, it was usually bad. "Mr. Brewer, what can I do for you?"

"I'm afraid I need to ask you for another favor." He sighed. "Rick's been arrested again and Gina refused to bail him out, again."

Kate groaned. "I'm on my way. Is he at the Twelfth?"

She arrived a half hour later to find Castle laughing with Roy Montgomery and Javi, and saw him clap Roy on the shoulder while the other men laughed. "Castle," she barked, approaching them.

Castle turned to see her and glanced down her body briefly before settling his smile on her face. "Kate! Nice to see you."

Kate could only stare. "'Nice to see you? _Nice to see you?!_ " She couldn't help it; she reached up and grabbed his ear, twisting it, only letting go when he yelped and yelled "Apples!" She heard snickers from the precinct all around her, but she didn't care. She was there only to bail her client out of prison - again - although it seemed like he was getting along just fine at the moment. "Your lawyer called me. _Again_. Because Gina was happy leaving you in here. _Again._ What the _fuck_ , Castle?"

"You didn't have to come down here," he said happily. "Nobody's pressing charges, so I'm free to go."

Kate was silent, waiting for Castle to continue. When he didn't, just stood there, she crossed her arms, tried to fix her best glare on him. "And?"

Castle shrugged. "And, I guess I can go?"

Kate grabbed his sleeve and pulled him towards the elevator. "I don't believe it," she snapped at him in the elevator. "You haven't been in the paper in two weeks, good or bad, and you choose _now_ to get arrested again? And for what?" She eyed his face, noticing the purple bruise next to his eyes. "Holy shit, Castle, were you in a fight?"

"Yeah," he said with a laugh, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I was in a bar fight. Can you believe it, Kate? A _bar fight_!"

Kate rolled her eyes. "I think you're still drunk."

"No, listen. Roy and I got to talking when I was in holding, and I've invited him over for poker night."

"What the hell does that have to do with the bar fight?"

"Oh, that happened last night," Castle said, waving his hand dismissively. "Bachelor party, it got a little rowdy."

"Oh my God." Kate walked out of the elevator when it opened on the first floor, the familiar sound of footsteps the only indication that he was following her. She led him around the corner to a diner, where they were quickly seated and given breakfast menus. Glancing up, she noticed Castle looking around the restaurant, taking in the 50's decor, an intrigued look on his face. "Have you been to Remy's before?"

Castle shook his head. "No, never. Is it good?"

"Is it-" Kate set her menu down. She didn't even need to look at it to know exactly what she wanted. "Life-changing, Castle."

"Oh, I'm sure there are a lot of things you can show me that are life-changing," Castle teased with a wink and a smirk.

Kate scoffed. "You'll never know." She ordered her standard eggs and french toast, one of the few indulgences she allowed herself, and Castle had the same. "So, a bar fight," she said after he took a few sips of coffee.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Castle insisted, pressing his fingers to his eye with a wince. "Hurts like hell though."

"So what happened, you got drunk and picked a fight with the wrong guy? Maybe tried to pick up the wrong girl?"

"No, actually, nothing like that. We were at a strip club-"

"Of course."

"Will you let me finish?"

Kate waved her hand. "Sure, whatever."

Castle leaned back in his booth with a smirk. "So we're at a strip club, and a few guys in the party were getting a little rowdy, a little handsy, and Alex - the groom - and I tried to stop them. So one of them punched me, and that started this whole thing."

"Oh." She sat back, a little deflated. "I just assumed-"

"That I got punched and arrested because I was being an ass? I had a couple drinks, but I wasn't drunk." He accepted the ice pack the waitress brought by with a smile. "Thanks. No, I was actually behaving this time. Although, speaking of behaving, why are you doing this? Taking me out for breakfast?"

Kate scoffed. "Well, technically you're paying. I'm expensing all of this."

"But aren't you afraid of being seen with me in public? People could think that we're together," he pointed out, the glint in his eye betraying the serious tone of his voice.

"That would truly be horrible for my reputation," she said, going for teasing, but the laughter caught in her chest.

He must not have noticed, because his smile only widened. "Who cares about reputations anyway?" he asked.

She scowled. _She_ did.

* * *

"Oh good, you're ready," Kate said the following Saturday when Castle opened the door. She tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach again, thinking to herself yet again just how good he looked in a tux. _Jeez, Beckett, you really need to get laid._

Just not by _him._

"Of course I am," Castle replied, a smile on his face, as he straightened his tie. "I've been to this fundraiser before, it's my favorite." He grabbed his coat, wallet, and phone, and closed the door behind him. "Free booze, and women spending money to win a date with me? Last year the winning bid was six grand. It's like the ultimate ego boost."

Kate couldn't help but roll her eyes, even as she turned from him to hide her smile. Over the month that she'd been working with him, he'd softened a little bit, but he was still an arrogant ass. It was much less annoying, though. And he'd managed to stay out of publicized trouble since the DAR event, which hadn't gone unnoticed by Gina or Paula.

Maybe he was finally learning.

Maybe he'd come out of the summer with his contract still valid, after all.

She was silent throughout the short ride to the event, Castle spending most of the time talking. She tuned most of it out; it seemed to largely be him reminiscing about years past, and how wild his dates had been, or how much money women were willing to spend.

They were greeted by several photographers when they arrived, and Kate made sure to keep her face neutral as she followed Castle out of the car. She did take his offered arm, however, her fingers curling around his bicep. Unlike the previous week, however, nobody shouted any questions after them, and they entered the ballroom with relative ease.

"You ready for this, Castle?" she murmured, leaning up to speak directly in his ear. She froze when he turned his head suddenly, his forehead almost touching hers. His eyes flicked to her mouth briefly, his blue eyes darkening a few shades before he regained eye contact with her.

Castle cleared his throat. "I was born ready," he responded, his voice low, face inches from hers.

Kate couldn't stop the sharp intake of breath at the feel of his breath across her cheek. _Shit. Get a hold of yourself._ "Right. Let's get you auctioned off." She forced herself to turn and lead him away from the door, in towards the crowd.

He was swept away by someone he knew almost immediately, and after mingling for a while, Kate made a stop at the silent auction table before finally relenting and heading to the bar.

"What can I get you?" the bartender asked promptly, a bar towel over his tuxedoed shoulder.

"Vodka," Kate responded after a moment. "Lots of vodka." She downed the glass that was set in front of her, relishing the burn and resulting warmth in her bloodstream. It was a cool night, but between her wrap and the alcohol, not to mention the man she'd come with, she didn't think being cold would happen.

"Come here often?" a voice piped up on her left, and Kate turned to see a tall, handsome man, dark hair and olive skin contrasting nicely with his crisp white shirt and tux.

Kate chuckled despite herself. "Nice line. Does it work?"

The man smiled, showing off a row of perfect, white teeth, and dimples. "You tell me, I hadn't used it yet."

Kate leaned against the bar, and ordered a glass of champagne. "Oh, so I'm your guinea pig?" she lobbed back, fingers curling around the stem of the glass.

"Well, I wouldn't put it that way. Test subject, maybe?" He held his hand out. "I'm Josh."

Kate took his offered hand, marveling at the strong grip from his otherwise soft hands. "Kate. Kate Beckett."

"You came with the writer, right? Rick Castle?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "We arrived together, yes. I'm mostly here to keep him out of trouble. Act as a chaperone, if you will." Suddenly, she felt a hand on her arm, and as she turned her head and opened her mouth it was covered by another one, and she only had a moment to realize that it was Castle before his tongue was swiping against her bottom lip and he was pulling away.

"There you are," he said cheerfully, but his eyes were serious, and he slipped his arms over her shoulder, squeezing just a little harder than normal. "I've been looking for you."

Kate just blinked up at him, her brain trying to catch up with the rest of her body. "What the hell?" she hissed, her jaw clenched.

He ignored her and thrust his hand out for Josh to take. "Rick Castle, bestselling mystery author, writer of wrongs. I see you've met Kate."

"Josh Davidson, cardiac surgeon," Josh replied coolly, and even Kate could feel the tension radiating off of the two men. "I didn't realize the two of you were an item."

Castle looked down at Kate. "Yeah, we were keeping it quiet. Keep what's private private, you know." He started to pull her away. "Come on Kate, I've been wanting to get you on the dance floor."

Kate let him lead her to the dance floor, even letting him take her hand and rest his other on her lower back. She automatically wrapped her arm around his shoulder, and tilted back so she could glare at him. "What the fuck was that, Castle? I was having a nice conversation with a very pleasant, and _hot,_ man," she said, keeping her voice low so they weren't overheard.

The headlines were going to be interesting the next day already; she didn't need to add fuel to the fire with loose lips.

Castle just smirked at her. "He seemed presumptuous," he explained with a shrug. "A little full of himself, cocky. Plus, I didn't like how you were looking at him."

Kate scoffed. "Excuse me, just who do you think you are? I can look at whomever I want, however I want."

"That may be the case," he agreed as they swayed to the soft jazz, "but you're supposed to be focusing on me and my life. Dip," he added as warning before dipping her, his hold on her tightening so she wouldn't fall.

Kate gripped his shoulder tighter and waited until he pulled her back up before she responded. "Wow, I did not know that my personal life meant so much to you," she said sarcastically. "I'm sorry that you're so shit about separating your personal and professional lives separately that you feel the need to manage my social calendar." She stepped back as the song ended, and before the next one started she was walking away, acutely aware of him following her.

"Kate-"

"No, Castle," she interrupted him, grabbing his arm and leading them to an empty corner. Turning to face him, she poked a finger into his chest. "And where do you get off thinking you can just _kiss_ me?

Castle smirked. "Like you hated it."

She glared for a moment, fighting with herself. Surprise kiss by someone she disliked on a personal level aside, it wasn't a _bad_ kiss, per se. His lips were soft and warm, and he'd tasted slightly like champagne. She could definitely imagine how he'd kiss when in private, maybe in the bedroom, how his lips would feel against her-

 _Shit,_ maybe her idea about the auction wasn't a good idea after all.

"Ladies and gentlemen." The MC's voice rang from the speakers, interrupting her train of thoughts and causing everyone to turn towards the stage.

 _Thank God._

"Thank you all for coming. All of us at Metropolitan Arts and Dance Theater thank you for coming. We're so excited to announce the results of the silent auction, where everyone could bid to win a date with one of New York's most eligible bachelors while contributing to a great cause."

Most of the names were unfamiliar to Kate, although Castle seemed to know a few of them, and he chuckled at some of the low dollar amounts. To her surprise, Josh was among the exhibits, as it were. They made brief eye contact before he was swept away by his date, a busty woman wearing too much hairspray and too much makeup.

"Finally, our most esteemed bachelor," the woman announced with a nod in Kate and Castle's direction, "Rick Castle. The winning bid this year is a record, bid by an anonymous donor. So Rick, if you want to stay put, your date will present you with a slip of paper. Thank you all, and please, enjoy dinner."

Kate just stood a few feet from Castle, watching him look around nervously, presumably wondering who this anonymous donor could be. She took pity on him after just a few minutes; the man was sweating, and he looked like he was about to faint. Fingers toying with the slip of paper she'd pulled from her clutch, she finally approached him, a smilh on her face, feeling confident.

"Set a record, huh?" she teased, reaching a hand up to touch his arm. "I wonder who had the winning bid."

Castle shrugged and ran a finger in the collar of his shirt. "Yeah, this'll be a story to tell, that's for sure. Most of the regulars are off with other men though, so it must be someone who I've never met."

Kate followed his Adam's apple as he swallowed, and finally held out the paper. "Oh, you've met her."

Castle stared at the slip, which showed both Kate's name and her winning bid of $10,000. "No fucking way."

"Yes fucking way."

"So what, were you jealous that I'd have a good time with another woman?"

Kate scoffed. "Yeah, right. No, I did this to keep you from doing something stupid that would end up on Page Six."

Castle stared for a few moments, long enough that Kate shifted under his gaze. "Come on, let's go eat."

They stayed for an hour or so after dinner, but when she couldn't handle his incidental touches against her shoulder or back, and she was having a hard time refusing his requests to dance, she announced that it was time to go.

"Where to first, Ms. Beckett?" the driver asked, opening the door.

"Why don't you drop me off, I'm on the way," Kate suggested, letting Castle get in before sliding in next to him. She made sure to keep as much space between them as possible; she hadn't been able to stop thinking about his kiss, brief as it was.

Even though he hadn't even attempted to make another move, he'd been her shadow for the rest of the event, never more than a foot from her side, except when she had to go to the ladies' room. Her body was absolutely humming, and she clenched her fists against her thighs to keep from reaching out towards him.

"I had a good time tonight," Castle said cheerfully. "I definitely wasn't expecting you to win me. Ten thousand bucks? What, did you just have the money lying around? Stop at the bank this morning?"

Kate scoffed. "No. Like I said, I just did it to keep you out of trouble." She could expense it, but it was borderline unethical since it wasn't completely a business-related cost, so she planned on absorbing the cost. It wasn't like she couldn't afford it, anyway. To have him paying attention to her, and only her, throughout the evening?

It was worth it.

She heard his seatbelt click, and Castle's thigh was brushing against hers within a few moments.

"Keep me out of trouble, huh? Is that all?" he asked, his voice low, almost a whisper.

She turned her head just enough so she could see him out of the corner of her eye; he was just inches away, his head tilted towards her, his breath washing over the side of her face.

She shivered.

 _Shit._

The limo couldn't get to her building fast enough. She'd managed to avoid answering his question, because she truly didn't know the answer. Why _did_ she bid on him, tell the auction organizer she'd beat the highest bid by ten percent to win the evening with Castle?

She paused with her hand on the door handle, frozen with indecision. She didn't want the night to end, but he was a client, he was off-limits. But it had been so long since she'd been with someone, and he made no secret about his attraction for her, which was _definitely_ mutual…

She pulled the handle, pushed the door open a few inches before closing her eyes and making her decision.

She turned.

"Do you want to come up?"

* * *

 _A/N: Again, the support for this story makes this all worth it. Many thanks to you, and as usual, to Callie the beta superhero!_


	6. Chapter 6

**PLEASE NOTE THE RATING CHANGE**

* * *

 **PROPINQUITY (noun):  
** affinity of nature; similarity

* * *

 **CHAPTER SIX**

* * *

 _She turned._

 _"Do you want to come up?"_

* * *

He was on her as soon as the elevator doors closed. Before she could even react she was pressed against the side of the lift, the cool glass of the mirror a stark contrast to the heat unfurling through her entire body. She gripped his shoulders, a low moan escaping when his tongue slid against hers, mentally cursing when the long skirt of her dress prevented his thigh from slipping between her legs.

His hands gripped her hips and tugged her closer, and Kate threw her head back with a gasp at the feel of her body aligning with his. She could feel him, hard against her thigh, and she was pulling his shirt from his pants when the elevator announced its arrival at her floor.

They were both panting when he pulled away, and Kate raised a hand to her chest, trying to slow her breathing. She pushed herself off the wall when the doors slid open, and took his hand on her way past. She had to let go when she fumbled with her clutch, searching for her keys. Finally getting the door open, Castle pressed against her back, she heard his low whistle when they walked in.

"Nice place," he muttered, taking in the spacious living room and kitchen, the large windows that looked over Central Park.

Kate leaned back against the door, teeth worrying her bottom lip, watching him. She watched as he turned back to her, and she couldn't help but peruse his body. His shirt was wrinkled, his tie undone and collar loose, and he shrugged his jacket off, his eyes darkening as he took three long strides back to her.

She couldn't stop her gasp when he pinned her arms above her head. She lifted her head to him, desperate, silently begging, and when his lips met hers in a bruising kiss, she opened for him, curled her tongue against his. Her hips jerked at the feel of him against her thigh, and she shifted, trying to nudge his hips between her legs.

"Please," she moaned when he trailed his lips down her neck, and when he nipped at her pulse point and sucked gently, she cried out, her fingers clawing at the air.

And then suddenly he pulled away, letting go of her hands, but she gripped his shirt and tugged him back to her, turning them to pin him against the door. Her hands fell to his belt and his dove into her short hair, fingers tangling, holding her head in place as he ravaged her mouth.

"Bedroom," he murmured against her lips, and when she slipped her hand beneath his boxers to wrap around him, he groaned. "Oh fuck."

Kate stroked him, feeling him pulse beneath her fingers, and she curled her other arm around his back, started to lead him away from the door. They made it as far as the couch, and when he pinned her against the back she didn't resist, couldn't have even if she'd wanted to.

He was intoxicating, his torso hard under her hands, his mouth hot against hers. She clawed at her dress, trying desperately to raise the skirt, and when Castle tugged her panties to the side and dragged his fingers through her slick heat— _fuck_ —she almost came right then. "Please," she moaned, almost a whimper.

"I want to taste you," Castle argued as he pulled her panties off, but before he could pull her to him she was tugging him up and her hand was around him once again.

"Later." Kate turned, her back to him, and leaned forward against the back of the couch. "Do you have a-"

"Yeah."

She heard the rustle of fabric and the sound of the foil packet opening, and within just a few moments she was crying out as he entered her, filling her, stilling for a few moments while she adjusted to him.

"Jesus fucking…" he murmured against her bare shoulder, the sleeve of her dress pushed aside. "God, you feel…"

"Fuck, Castle, _move_." She cried out again and again as he obeyed, thrusting, pounding, one hand palming her breast through her dress and the other between her legs, pinching and rubbing against her clit. She still had her heels on, giving her the few inches needed to align them so he didn't have to bend his knees, but she lifted herself even farther.

Her fingers grasped behind her, finding purchase in his hair as the new angle allowed him to hit her perfectly, send her soaring within moments. Her back arched as she shuddered around him, and she turned her head to meet his mouth in a sloppy kiss as he stilled, deep inside her, a groan escaping his lips as he dropped his head to her shoulder.

"Trash can?" Castle mumbled, slipping out of her.

"Under the kitchen sink." Kate reached behind her and unzipped her dress, shimmying it down and over her hips, adding an extra sway to her movements when she saw him staring at her, his cock hardening again. She paused as she turned the corner, her hand on the wall, and glanced back at him with a smile. "You coming or what?"

* * *

She woke alone.

It wasn't surprising, if she was honest with herself. After all, he'd been very clear that his romantic liaisons were just that: liaisons. They rarely turned into overnight stays. But still, it hurt. It reminded her too much of the one night with the lawyer, who was handsome and charming, but had claimed an "early meeting" as he'd practically ran out of her apartment.

Of the fight with Will, when he'd basically given her an ultimatum: to go with him to Boston or to end it right then. They'd had one more slow, tearful round, when she'd used her body to beg him to stay. But he'd slipped out when she was still asleep, leaving only a note that said "I'm sorry" in his wake.

So waking alone, even though she'd half-expected it, stung.

She groaned as she stretched; despite his early departure, they'd gone multiple rounds, and it had been over a year for her. Sure, she was in great shape, but certain muscles were already protesting their sudden—and frequent—use.

Toys and fingers just weren't a suitable substitute for the real thing.

Finally sliding out of bed, she decided to skip her treadmill and yoga routine— _oh,_ maybe still yoga—and slipped her robe on to cover the chill of her loft. Her air had been on all night, and although it was on low, the bed was cold without him in it.

She couldn't help but smile at the array of clothing and shoes that greeted her on her trek through the living room to the kitchen. After their first frantic round against the couch, he'd obviously just left the dress where it had landed in the hall. She glanced around for her panties; oh, they'd landed on a lampshade. Classy.

Kate started her coffee pot with a yawn, and almost missed the piece of paper propped up next to it. She twirled a lock of hair around her finger as she read the familiar writing.

 _Kate—_

 _I'm sorry, I had a couple appointments this morning that I couldn't miss and I didn't want to wake you. Coffee's ready to be brewed, hopefully it's strong enough (or not too strong)?_

 _I had a great time last night._

— _Rick_

She sighed, disappointed with herself. Sleeping with him had been a terrible idea. Sure, it was great - he was definitely skilled in the bed department - but he was a _client,_ for Christ's sake. If anyone found out…

 _Fuck._

She glanced around for her phone; she didn't remember taking it out of her clutch, which she'd dropped…

She spotted it by the door, but her phone was dead. _Great._ She let it charge while she got ready for the day. She took a long shower, letting the hot water beat against her muscles. Oh, she was definitely sore, but it was worth it. It was absolutely worth it.

Wrapping herself in a towel, she ran a second one through her short hair to absorb some of the moisture, and turned her phone back on. By the time she prepared coffee, her texts and voicemails all had announced their arrival, and—

 _Holy shit._

The most recent text was from just a few minutes before, from Lanie.

 _Call me ASAP._

"Where the hell have you been?" was Lanie's greeting, and Kate winced at the tone.

"Sorry, my phone died. What's going on?"

"Dammit, Kate, it's ten o'clock in the morning. My phone has been absolutely blowing up."

"Why?"

"Did you not check your messages?" Lanie sighed. "Did you, or did you not, have Castle over last night?"

Kate froze with her coffee mug halfway to her mouth. "Um…"

"Oh shit, I knew it. I _knew_ that was your building."

"What are you talking about?"

She could hear Lanie's exasperation all the way from across town. "He was photographed coming out of an apartment building at about four this morning, looking very much like a man doing the walk of shame. They didn't post the address, just said it was the Upper West Side."

Kate pinched the bridge of her nose. "Dammit. Do they know it was me?"

"Well, considering how he kissed you at the dinner last night, they're assuming it was you. And they're right, apparently. So tell me, girl...how was it?" she asked, her voice hushed.

Kate couldn't stop the smile at the memory of the night. "Good," she admitted. "Really, really good." She took her coffee to her couch, stared wistfully at the back. "Don't ever let me go that long again without sex, okay?"

Lanie chuckled. "If I remember correctly, I tried to set you up a few times, and you always turned me down, but okay. Are you coming into the office?"

"Yeah, I'll be in in a bit." Kate groaned, shifting so she was lying on the couch. "How the hell could I let this happen? A client, Lanie. He's a _client._ I couldn't wait two fucking months until he wasn't? Jesus. I know better than that."

* * *

 _"Mom?" Katie called out when she closed the door behind her, a bag of takeout in her hands. She'd had to enter their building through a back door due to the reporters in front, but her mom should be home by now. Her mom had made a point to be home to make dinner every night for the previous two weeks, since her dad had entered rehab._

 _The reporters, however were new. Hopefully her mom knew something about them._

 _"Hi Katie," Johanna greeted her, coming around the corner, a dish cloth in her hands. "Good day at school?"_

 _Katie studied her mom. She looked tired; the past weeks had been hard for both of them, getting used to the new dynamic without her dad around. He was getting healthy, though, she had to tell herself when her classmates made fun of her._

 _"Yeah, fine," she said warily. "What's the deal with the reporters?"_

 _Johanna sighed and pulled Katie into a hug. "Don't worry about it. Just ignore them."_

 _"Mom."_

 _"Ignore them, Katie." Johanna led her into the kitchen, but Katie saw the headline on the paper before her mom turned it upside down._

Disgraced Lawyer's Career Over?

 _Katie picked it up, shocked, and held it up. "What the hell is this?"_

 _"It's nothing." When Katie just stared, Johanna sighed again, and leaned against the counter with her head down. "I got a call from his firm. He's been disbarred, Katie. He won't work there again. He might not work again, period."_

 _"Oh, Mom…"_

 _"And somehow, someone found out about it. Hence, the reporters. They want to ask me about_ my _cases, whether I'm competent, whether I can effectively do my job." Johanna took the paper and threw it away. "It will all blow over, eventually."_

 _Katie hesitated. "But in the meantime?"_

 _Johanna gave her a small smile. "In the meantime, the Beckett name will be dragged through the mud. I made it very clear that if anyone harasses you, they'll have the entire DA's office to deal with. But it's going to be rough for awhile."_

* * *

Kate knocked on his door a few hours later, after fielding calls from the press, mostly about the fact that he'd been seen leaving her building (not that they knew that it was hers, but she'd keep that to herself), but also the kiss that multiple people at the MADT fundraiser had seen.

She and Lanie had decided to explain it away by claiming it was to make other ladies jealous, so they'd bid more on Castle and potentially raise more money. Her winning bid, of course, had been to keep him off Page Six.

At least, that was the story.

She knocked again after a few minutes, but when he didn't answer a second time, she turned to leave. She'd call him later. She had just turned from his door when she heard the elevator doors open, and she felt her face flush at the sound of his voice.

 _Jesus, get a hold of yourself, Kate._

"Yeah, I'll get it to you by the end of the week.." Castle sounded excited, and when he turned the corner and saw her, his smile widened. "No, not Derrick. Something else. You'll like it, I promise. Look, I gotta go." He slipped his phone back in his pocket and pulled out his keys. "Hey," he greeted her.

Kate shoved her hands in the pockets of her slacks, clenching her fists to stop them from trembling. "Hi. We need to talk."

"Okay." Castle let her in, closing the door behind her. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Um, no, thanks, this will be quick." She stopped at the kitchen island, propping her hip against it, and ran a hand through her hair. "Someone saw you, Castle."

"When?"

"Last night. Well, this morning. When you left." She waited as he took a bottle of water from the refrigerator and took a long drink, and she watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed. She couldn't help but think of the previous night, of the way his lips wrapped around her nipple, how his tongue brought her to see stars over and over again.

"Kate?"

She inhaled sharply as she looked back up at Castle's face to see him staring at her, concern written across his features. "Someone saw you leave my building. They didn't know it was mine, but after that kissing stunt you pulled, people are assuming that you either came home with me, or you're stepping out on me."

Castle cocked an eyebrow. "But we're not together."

"Yeah, like they care. You've seen how the media assumes things about celebrities. People have lunch together, they're automatically dating. You _kissed_ me, Castle, then you were seen coming out of an apartment building just hours later. What the hell do you think they're going to think? It was a one time thing, Castle. It can't happen again."

"What, us sleeping together, or getting caught?" Castle asked in a low voice, setting the water down and taking a step towards her.

Kate took a step back, trying to back away from him even as he continued to approach her. She gasped when her back hit the door, and when Castle propped his hands on either side of her head, she couldn't help but lean forwards to meet his mouth. By the time she had to pull away for air her hands were under his sweater, splayed across the muscles of his back, and she was straddling his leg, rocking against it.

"Shit, Castle, we can't," she breathed, but her hips disagreed and continued to move against him.

Castle moved to her neck, his hips thrusting against hers, and he gripped the bottom of her shirt, inched it up her torso. "Can't?" he mumbled, "or just shouldn't?"

"Oh God," she moaned when his hands slipped beneath her waistband and he tugged her even closer. She tore his sweater off and looped her arms around his neck, her fingers carding through his hair, tugging his head back to hers. She hooked her leg around his thigh, lifting her hips to thrust against him. "Bedroom," she murmured against his lips. "Now."

* * *

 _A/N: Thanks again to Callie, and thank you all for your continued support!_


	7. Chapter 7

**PROPINQUITY (noun):  
** affinity of nature; similarity

* * *

 **CHAPTER SEVEN**

* * *

 _ **AUTHOR SPOTTED OUTSIDE HOSPITAL**_

 _Earlier this week, author Rick Castle was seen exiting the Children's Hospital at New York Presbyterian. It is unknown what the purpose of his visit was; several weeks ago he canceled a patient visit, citing "unspecified personal reasons," but the hospital would not comment on Mr. Castle's presence. Calls to Kate Beckett, the public relations consultant who has been handling all of Mr. Castle's recent media commitments, have gone unanswered._

* * *

"He's supposed to tell me when he wants to do stuff like this," Kate complained, setting a mug in front of her mom. "I could have used it, shown that he's making up for canceling on them before."

Johanna took a long sip of her coffee, then seat it down and patted the seat next to her. "Sit, Katie. Maybe he's not doing this for his image, did you think about that? Maybe he's doing it for himself, or for the families."

Kate sat down with a huff and curled her legs beneath her, mirroring her mom's pose. "I just...he should have told me. It feels like he invalidated my efforts, like he went behind my back."

"Who are you more upset at: him for not telling you, or you for not seeing him for who he is?" Johanna leaned back against the arm of the couch, raising an eyebrow at her daughter.

"What do you mean, who he is?" Kate asked, narrowing her eyes.

"He's not that 'wild child troublemaker,' out of control person that his reputation suggests. He's a good person."

Kate scoffed. "You're just saying that because you're a fan."

"Hey now, so are you," Johanna teased, nudging Kate's knee with her foot. "But no, I'm saying that because he's visiting the children's hospital, on his own time, without publicizing it. This isn't something he's doing for press. He's doing it because it's the right thing to do."

"Yeah, maybe."

The women grew silent, both drinking their coffee, lost in their thoughts. Finally, Johanna set her empty mug on the coffee table in front of her and cleared her throat. "So...are you two seeing each other, or what?"

"Oh my God, Mom," Kate groaned, her empty mug joining her mom's.

"Come on, Katie. I know that was your building he was coming out of in the middle of the night, and that was three weeks ago. What's going on between you two?"

"Nothing."

Johanna shook her head with a smile. "Twenty-eight years old and you still can't lie to me."

"I'm telling you, nothing's going on," Kate insisted, feeling her cheeks flush despite her words. "Nothing serious, anyway," she muttered under her breath. "I mean, we've...we…"

"You've been having sex."

"What? God, Mom, really?" She focused her gaze on her knees. "Well…"

Johanna was silent for a few moments, but when Kate just picked at a nonexistent loose thread in her leggings, she nudged her daughter's knee again. "And?"

"And...nothing." Kate sighed. "That's it."

"But do you want more?"

Kate drew her bottom lip between her teeth, considering. "I don't know," she finally admitted quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked up to find her mom intently staring at her, almost studying. "Maybe? It would be nice to be in a relationship again. But honestly, I can't see it being more than it is now with him. And that's fine." She sighed. "My contract with Black Pawn is through the _Storm's Last Fall_ book launch, which is in six weeks. I guess we'll see what happens then."

* * *

"I'm sorry," Castle said as soon as he opened the door later that day.

Kate stormed past him and stopped in the kitchen, twirling around to face him, the paper in her hand. "You should have told me," she stated, her voice calm despite the heat unfurling in her gut at his proximity. _Settle down, Kate,_ she scolded herself; he had to have just showered, because his hair was slightly damp, and even from a few feet away she recognized the smell of his shampoo and aftershave.

Castle pushed the sleeves of his green sweater to his elbows and crossed his arms. "Why, so you could have photographers there, turn it into a PR stunt?" he snapped back, his eyes narrowing.

Kate mirrored his pose, quirking an eyebrow at the way his eyes flicked to her chest briefly before settling back to her face. She struggled to keep her eyes on his, the rippling muscles of his forearms tempting her gaze. "Well, that's my job, so yes."

"And that's exactly why I didn't." Castle moved past Kate to the living room, where he took a swig from his coffee mug. "These families go through a lot, Kate. The last thing I want to do while trying to offer these families comfort is to make a spectacle out of it."

"Other celebrities do it all the time."

"Yeah, and I'm not one of them."

"Castle-"

"Look, the press obviously already knows I've been there at least once, right?" Castle asked, more of a statement than a question, and he perched on the arm of the couch, one eyebrow raised in her direction. At her slow nod, he continued. "I'll do one photo op. _One,_ " he insisted, holding up his pointer finger. "But after that, no press. I won't do that to the families, to the kids. They have enough shit to deal with, and it's hard enough without adding reporters and photographers to the mix. don't want any of them to feel obligated to share their stories."

Kate drew her bottom lip between her teeth, not missing the way his pupils dilated slightly at the movement. He did seem genuinely upset about the press, and about the families; could she be wrong about him? Despite the decrease in public antics over the previous weeks, he was definitely still an arrogant playboy who was one public bender and subsequent embarrassing arrest away from being dropped by Black Pawn. But, dare she think he was actually softening?

The corners of her mouth lifted into a small smile, and Castle blinked at her.

"What?" he asked, his shoulders lifting in question.

Kate shook her head as she approached him, dropping the paper on the kitchen island as she passed it. "Nothing."

She reached out to brush her fingers against his sweater when she was close enough, the color of the soft cashmere blend bringing out the blue in his eyes. Well, what blue she could see around the pupils that were dilated with arousal.

His breath had quickened, and as she trailed her fingertips over his forearms to loop them around his neck, his hands found their way to lightly rest on her hips. Her fingers tightening at his neck was the only warning she gave before she tugged his head to her, meeting his lips in a soft kiss.

Castle let out a soft moan before he slicked his tongue across the seam of her lips, and she opened for him, listing into his body, her tongue curling against his. She let him pull her closer, his fingers lacing together at the small of her back, pulling her against his hips. Her fingers gripped the hem of his sweater almost automatically; already her body was humming, her fingers itching to touch him, to have him inside her.

They parted just long enough for Kate to tug his sweater off, discarding hers as well. She gasped when he nuzzled her neck with his nose, his chin against her shoulder. His cheeks were smooth, and while she loved the rough scrape of his stubble against her skin, she could definitely get used to this.

She froze at the thought. _Get used to this?_

No. She did _not_ have those feelings.

Castle paused, his fingers at the clasp of her bra, and pulled back to fix her with a hooded gaze. "You okay?" he asked, his voice rough.

Kate reached behind her and unhooked her bra, smiling at how his eyes were drawn to her breasts, his pupils darkening even more. "Perfect." She took his hands and tugged him off the couch, led him towards his bedroom. "Come on, Castle."

She stopped and turned to face him when they reached his bed, and when she hooked two fingers under the waistband of his jeans, he cupped her face in his hands and brushed his thumbs across her cheekbones.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, punctuating his words with a soft kiss to her mouth, the sweep of his tongue against hers all too brief and leaving her wanting more.

His voice was laced with wonder, and Kate felt her cheeks flush. She undid his jeans and slid the zipper down, the sound of the metal teeth rasping loud in the silence of the loft.

She slid her hand beneath his boxers to wrap her fingers around his length, already thick and hard, his breath already quickening. She directed him to the bed with a light nudge to his hips, and before he sat she kneeled in front of him and slowly tugged his pants down his legs. He dropped onto the bed and lifted his feet so she could pull his pants and boxers off, and he sat before her, naked and hard.

Castle leaned back on his elbows, and she felt his eyes on her as she scooted closer, her hands on his legs, sliding up his thighs. She heard the sharp inhale when her hands reached him, when she cupped his balls with one hand and wrapped the other around his base with a gentle squeeze.

"Kate," he almost growled, one hand coming up to loosely cup her head, "you don't have to-"

"I know," she replied before he even finished his sentence, her gaze moving up to meet his. She kept eye contact when she wrapped her lips around his head, swirling her tongue around the tip, smiling around him when he groaned and threw his head back. She moved her free hand to his stomach, pressing down lightly to keep him from thrusting his hips before she was ready for him to.

Her mouth and hand worked in tandem, and she alternated licks and thrusts with the occasional twist of her hand, slowing down or stilling when his hips started to move, trying to stop him from coming too soon. She could feel her own arousal; her core ached for relief, and she was tempted to slide a hand inside her pants and pleasure herself while she pleasured him, but she settled for rubbing her thighs together to try and provide some of the friction she desperately wanted.

"Kate-" Castle groaned after several minutes, his hips starting to buck uncontrollably and his hands on her shoulders. "Kate-shit-I'm gonna-"

She took his hands off her shoulders and moved them to her head, looking up and making brief eye contact with him, giving a small nod even as she hollowed her cheeks and _sucked._

His hips jerked on a shout, fingers tangling in her hair, and as his cock hit the back of her throat she swallowed, her tongue flat against the underside. He started to pull out of her mouth as he came, his fluid hot on her tongue, but she gripped his ass with one hand and squeezed in encouragement. As each jerk of his hips resulted in more of _him,_ she slid her other hand inside her pants to circle her clit, unable to deny herself pleasure any longer.

With just a few passes through her folds she was climbing, and she managed to undo her pants with one hand and shove them past her hips to give herself more room to thrust two fingers inside herself. Even as Castle's hips stilled and she released his cock with a _pop_ , she pressed against her clit with her thumb and cried out, her mouth against his thigh as her own hips jerked as she lost control.

Finally she stilled as well, and they stayed frozen for a few minutes, the only movement coming from their chests as their breathing slowed from a frantic pant to normal. One of Castle's hands was still in her hair and he tugged lightly, lifting his head to make eye contact, jerk his head slightly.

"'mere," he mumbled, his other arm reaching out to her, fingers curling in a beckon.

She took his hand and climbed onto the bed next to him, their legs hanging off the side, but she didn't care as she let herself succumb to his embrace. She propped herself up on her elbow, used most of her strength to smudge a kiss to his lips.

"Thank you," Castle muttered against her mouth, his hand moving from her hair to cup her cheek tenderly. "You didn't have to finish."

Kate leaned up to look him in the eyes, searching for any teasing, anything to hint that he was lying. It certainly wasn't the first blow job she'd given him - one of their early rounds had memorably finished with them satisfying each other with their mouths and she was _definitely_ looking forward to doing _that_ again - but it was one of the few times he'd come in her mouth _before_ intercourse. But she didn't see a glint in his eyes, didn't see the arrogant smirk she sometimes saw after he gave her an especially powerful orgasm. No, he was being sincere; if anything, his brow was slightly furrowed in what could be construed as concern.

 _Fuck._

"I know," she reassured him with a kiss, just a brush of their lips, nothing more. "I wanted to."

"God, you're so fucking sexy."

Kate couldn't help but laugh at his words, and she reached past his navel again, his cock still half-hard when she started to stroke to bring him back to life. She leaned forward so her lips were even with his ear, and whispered, "You have no idea."

Castle growled and grabbed her hips, his grip tight, probably leaving bruises but she didn't care. He shifted them so she was on top of him and pulled them all the way onto the bed, maneuvered them to the center. He tugged at her thigh, bringing it towards his hip, before turning them over them over and setting between her legs. His lips found her breast and he took her nipple in his mouth, his teeth and tongue scraping and soothing, alternating breasts until she was writhing and moaning beneath him. He paused to rest his chin on her sternum, his eyes meeting hers.

"Oh, I have some idea," he lobbied back with a smirk before sliding down, pulling her pants off, her soaked panties landing somewhere on the floor. He gave her a long, slow lick, chuckling against her clit when her hips canted towards him. "Impatient?" he asked, teasing, one finger at her entrance.

Kate slid her fingers through his hair and nudged his head down. "Jesus fucking Christ, Castle. I already got myself off once and I'll do it again if you don't hurry."

"Hmm...as tempting as it is to watch you do that, I think I'd rather participate." He hooked his arms around her thighs and lifted them over his shoulders, one large hand holding her hips in place while the other cupped her wet heat. Two large fingers slid inside, curling against her walls, and his mouth found her clit even as she cried out. His thumb joined his tongue, and her hips bucked so hard when he pressed against her that he finally just gripped her ass and moved with her.

"Fuck, Rick!" she cried out, both hands in his hair, holding his head in place even as his tongue worked at her. She could feel her blood boiling, her body rising, rising, rising, until it felt like she was floating. She tried to watch, his head between her legs while he ate her out turning her on even more. But her eyes closed of their own volition as she threw her head back, her back arching, her thighs tightening around his ears.

Finally the dam broke and her cries of his name were replaced by a string of curses that turned into moans, and even as she came down, as the stars faded from her vision, she could feel him between her legs, his tongue working against her folds, chasing her orgasm, leaving her close to the edge still. She could feel his cock, hard again against her thigh, the moisture from his tip sticky on her skin, and she gently tugged at his hair to bring him back up to her, face-to-face.

Castle smiled, hair mussed, lips wet and swollen, and she surged into him, desperate to taste him, herself against him, to combine her taste with the lingering flavor of him still on her tongue. Her fingers gripped his shoulders hard, and _fuck_ they were probably both going to have bruises, but she didn't care, and she was pretty sure he didn't either.

"I need-" Castle mumbled, tearing his lips from hers so he could reach into his nightstand. He rummaged around for a few moments, long enough for Kate to worry that maybe he'd run out, but when he held up a condom with a triumphant shout, she grabbed it from his hand and hooked her ankle around his calf, the wiggle of her eyebrows the only warning before she flipped them over and settled back on his thighs.

She rolled the condom over his shaft, sheathing him, and gave him a few strokes that had his eyes rolling back before gripping him and sliding down onto him. They both groaned when she took him in, settling at his base, letting herself adjust for a few moments before moving. She rocked her hips back and forth, slowly at first, but even the two orgasms she'd had already weren't going to prolong this pleasure.

Before long, Castle's hands were at her hips yet again, not guiding as much as steadying as he thrusted his hips up into her. He paused briefly to shift, to place his feet against the bed, giving him more leverage. They cried out simultaneously when he hit her particularly deep, their angle allowing her clit to rub against his pelvis. With every upward thrust, Kate grinded her hips, and when she had to lean forward to grip the headboard to steady herself, Castle took advantage and craned his neck so he could capture a breast in his mouth.

One tug of her nipple and Kate was gone, her back arching yet again, muscles squeezing even as he released her breast on a groan and jerked once, twice, stilling as he pulsed and spilled into the condom.

Kate collapsed onto her back next to him, her eyes following his hands when he pulled the condom off his softening cock and threw it in the trash can next to his bed. He'd moved it there after their first time at his loft; they'd both been so tired after that round that it had ended up on the floor.

"It's important to me," Castle finally said after several minutes, after their breathing had mostly gone back to normal.

Kate forced her eyes open and turned her head to find him staring up at the ceiling, one arm bent under his head, his expression serious. She shifted so she was leaning on her side and propped herself up on an elbow. "What is?"

Castle turned to look at her. "The hospital. I'm going to keep going. Those families need to know that people care, that celebrities don't just visit for photo ops."

Kate resisted the urge to trail her fingers across his jaw; no, that gesture was too tender for them, for what they were. "Okay," she agreed after a moment. "I can't keep them from being outside, but I'll make sure no press is allowed inside unless they've been given specific permission."

Castle leaned up and kissed her, a small smile on his face when he pulled away. "Thank you," he whispered, and when he held an arm out in invitation, Kate curled up into his side, her head on his chest, sticky with cooling sweat, but warm and firm.

"Any time," she managed to get out before the call of sleep pulled her under.

* * *

 _A/N: I suck at replying to reviews but I truly appreciate your continued support. I had other plans for this chapter but as you can tell, Caskett had other ideas. I hope it wasn't awful. As always, thanks to super beta Callie, who spun the wheel o' smut which gave me no choice but to write this._

 _A/N 2: forgot to mention that chapter 6 brought me just over the 15k word mark, so this is officially a Mini FIcathon fic But it is far from over. I have more planned for our couple. More updates hopefuliy coming soon!_


	8. Chapter 8

**PROPINQUITY (noun):  
** affinity of nature; similarity

* * *

 **CHAPTER EIGHT**

* * *

Kate woke slowly to the sound of dishes clanging, and the smell of coffee and food. She sniffed the air: bacon. Definitely bacon. She sat up, stretching as she did so, and glanced around at the room that was becoming increasingly more familiar. She vaguely remembered falling asleep, Castle's arm around her, and while she usually woke after a little while and went home (or woke when he left her place), she'd obviously slept through the night.

 _Strange,_ she thought, to be waking up in daylight, burrowed in his sinfully perfect sheets on his perfect mattress. Her bed was nothing to laugh at, of course, but his provided an air of luxury that hers lacked. Then again, hers was, until recently, used primarily for sleep, while his saw more…active things.

Not that she was complaining. Falling asleep in Castle's arms was surprisingly pleasant. He was broad and firm, but warm, his arm providing a sort of security blanket, comforting around her torso. She could definitely get used to-

 _No._

She shook her head at herself, sitting up and pulling the sheet over her chest. No, she wouldn't start thinking like that. He was great in bed, but that was the extent of their contact outside of work. At the end of the day he was her client; never mind the way her skin tingled when she was around him, it was incredibly unprofessional to be sleeping with him. She really shouldn't be doing it. But she couldn't help herself. He was absolutely intoxicating.

She was about to slide out of bed in search of her clothes when she heard footsteps, and she smiled when Castle rounded the corner into the bedroom, clad in boxers and carrying a tray full of food. "Hey," she greeted him, her voice rough with sleep.

Castle returned her smile and set the tray on his nightstand before climbing back in next to her. "Hi. Sleep well?"

"Actually, yeah," Kate admitted. She craned her neck around him and eyed the tray. "What's that?"

"I made us breakfast. I figured you'd need it," Castle teased with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Kate chuckled and nudged his shoulder, gratefully accepting her coffee even as she mentally chided herself on such a nonchalant gesture. Nudges and touches were for couples, not for friends with benefits. _We're not even that,_ she thought with a sip, _more like fuckbuddies._ "Pancakes?" she asked when he handed her a full plate. "Mmm, and bacon."

"Yes, pancakes. An edible way of saying 'thank you for last night.'" Castle brushed a kiss against Kate's cheek before digging into his own food. "Plus," he continued, his mouth full, "I was starving. I figured you might be too."

Kate closed her eyes as she took her first bite; the pancakes were fluffy and warm, providing a nice contrast with the crispy bacon. She sipped her coffee, a smile flirting with the corners of her mouth; it was perfect. The right amount of cream and syrup. And she'd only had coffee around him a handful of times.

Obviously, the man was nothing if not observant.

She ate quickly, not wanting her visit to end but also needing to get into work, but when his hand dropped to her knee she paused.

"Everything okay?" Castle asked, his head turned towards her.

Kate glanced at him; his gaze was fixated on her, his eyes intense, but the stubble on his jaw and hair flipped over his forehead gave him a softer quality that she found endearing. Her hand found its way to the top of his and she squeezed, her fingers around his. "Yeah. I should get going though." She leaned over to give him a kiss. "I'll see you later, okay?"

Castle smiled, but his eyes betrayed the smile on his face. His brows were furrowed, and the sparkle that typically brightened his irises was absent. "Okay. See ya."

She slipped her clothes on as she retrieved them from the floor, slipping her sweater over her head as she grabbed her purse from the kitchen island. She paused briefly with her hand on the doorknob before she tugged the door open and walked out. _He's not worth it, Kate_ , she chided herself as she stepped into the elevator. _He's just a playboy bachelor who can get whomever he wants. It's just a matter of time before he moves on from you._

Although…

It wasn't lost on her that in the three weeks they'd been sleeping together, Castle hadn't been on Page Six for his usual shenanigans. In fact, besides the blurbs covering the MADT function and the Children's Hospital, and an inclusion on a handful of "most anticipated upcoming books" lists, he hadn't been in the paper at all.

That _couldn't_ be coincidence.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the shrill ring of her cell phone, and she glanced briefly at the caller ID before flipping it open. "Hey Lanie," she said in greeting.

"I just got off the phone with Gina," Lanie said immediately. "She wanted to make sure that you're still able to accompany Castle to the party on Saturday."

"Shit, I completely forgot."

Long before the fateful MADT dinner, Kate had agreed to go with Castle to all of his events throughout her Black Pawn employment. Of course, now that their relationship had...evolved, now that Kate's feelings were starting to get a bit muddled, she wasn't sure going with him to a very high profile book launch was a good idea.

Especially since it was a Black Pawn-hosted event, and the odds were very good that Gina was going to be there. And she was most definitely _not_ on the short list of people who knew about her and Castle.

Kate groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose as she slid into a cab. "I have to, don't I?"

"Yeah, it's probably a good idea. So tell me, have you managed to be around writer boy _without_ jumping his bones?"

"Yes." Kate could imagine the incredulous look on Lanie's face, even from across town. She sighed in defeat. "Basically."

"Kate."

"I'm fine in public," she insisted. "But as soon as we're alone, it's like...it's like we can't keep our hands off each other. He's just so...Lanie, I haven't had sex this good in _ages._ Maybe _ever._ " She handed the cabbie her fare as she climbed out in front of her building. "And even when we're not-" She lowered her voice when she passed her doorman. "-you know, he's different. More attentive, maybe. He touches me. His hand on my arm, my back, even the sex is changing"

"How so?"

"The first few times it was just about the sex, you know? Get it out of our systems and move on."

"But if that were the case," Lanie interrupted, "you would have stopped after those first couple nights." Lanie paused. "You like him."

"What? No." Kate scoffed. "No."

"Really? So you're _not_ doing the walk of shame right now?"

Kate froze at her door, her keys in her hand, and slowly turned to see Lanie at the end of the hallway, leaning against the wall, a shit-eating grin on her face. Kate felt her cheeks flush. "Shut up."

"You still haven't told me about your date," Lanie pointed out, following Kate into her apartment.

Kate rolled her eyes. "That's because there isn't anything to talk about. We went to dinner, that's it." She kicked off her shoes and plugged in her phone, avoiding any eye contact with Lanie. She was lying, a bold-faced lie, but Lanie didn't need to see it written all over her face. "Start the coffee while I shower, will ya?"

* * *

 **One week earlier…**

 _She was just slipping on her shoes when her doorbell rang. Glancing at the clock, she smiled to herself as she made her way to the door; he was right on time. She tried to calm her nerves; there was no reason to have butterflies in her stomach, but she hadn't seen him in almost a week, and she missed him._

Wait. No.

 _She shook her head and opened the door, revealing Castle in a crisp suit, the deep green color of his shirt complementing the dark purple pocket square. The purple that matched the color of her dress. How did he...she pushed the thought to the back of her mind and reached her hand out. "Hey," she greeted him, stepping aside to let him in. She managed to restrain from reaching out and caressing his open collar, turning instead to snag her clutch from her kitchen counter._

" _You look great," Castle said, his voice laced with awe._

 _Kate hid her smile but felt her cheeks flush, and she gave a little twirl of her hips, causing the skirt to ruffle around her knees. "Thanks. Shall we?" When she turned back towards the door she ran into the solid plane of Castle's chest, and her hands landed on his sides as his slid to her hips. "Castle…"_

" _We have a few minutes," he murmured, his lips descending to her jaw to nip the skin below her ear. He nudged her back, pinning her against the counter, his thigh slipping between her legs. His hand skimmed along the hem of her dress before sliding underneath, along the back of her thighs, to play with the edge of her underwear. "Just enough time to get a head start on the evening."_

 _Kate moaned and tilted her head to the side to make it easier for him to trail his lips down her neck, and as he played with the strap on her shoulder, she hitched her leg around his thigh. Her hips rolled against his, drawing a groan from his lips, but as soon as her hands snuck under his suit jacket, he pulled away._

 _She glared at him, or she hoped it was a glare, because all she could think was that she wanted him to take her right there, on the counter, and their date be damned. "What the hell?" Her hands fell to his belt, but he took them in his, laced their fingers together._

" _Later," he husked, his forehead resting against hers. "I just had to kiss you."_

 _Kate managed a chuckle, her eyes closing briefly when he brushed a quick kiss to her mouth. "You don't hear me complaining. As long as we get to continue this later, of course," she added as an afterthought, with a nudge of her knee to his._

 _Their hands remained clasped throughout the elevator ride, but he let go when they reached the lobby. "In case there are photographers," he muttered into her ear._

 _Kate nodded, her stride with his, offering a nod of thanks when he opened the door for her. She stopped when she saw the limo parked at the curb; she expected a town car, not a limo, not for this date they were only going on only because she outbid everyone else._

 _Castle turned back to her and flashed a smile, held out his hand in invitation. "Come on, I won't bite," he teased._

 _Kate felt herself flush at the implied "yet," but she passed him and slid into the limo even as she rolled her eyes. Castle followed, keeping a respectable distance, but as soon as the door closed behind him he was next to her, crowding her against the door. She met his open mouth with hers, her tongue slicking against his as her hands made their way around his neck. Her fingers played with the fine hairs at his nape, and his snuck under the hem of her skirt, but before he had a chance to move too high the car rolled to a stop._

 _She followed him out of the car, accepting his offered hand after smoothing her dress down. "Thanks," she said with a shy smile, leaning into his side when he pressed his hand against the small of her back. Her jaw dropped when she saw the restaurant; she'd heard of Le Bernardin, but despite her connections, had never been able to get a seat. "Castle, this is…"_

" _Impressive, huh?" he interrupted her, a wide grin on his face. "I've been wanting to try this place for years. I've heard their tasting menus are to die for." He led her to the private entrance, where they were greeted by a hostess._

" _Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett," she said cheerfully, "please, this way." She led them to a table in the back of the restaurant, not completely private, but fairly secluded. She brought wine immediately, pouring them each a glass._

 _Kate settled into her chair across from Castle, an appreciative hum escaping from her lips when she took a sip of the wine. "Good choice," she complimented him. She didn't drink very often, not after what had happened with her dad, but she did appreciate a good wine. "How did you manage to get a table here?"_

 _Castle shrugged even as he slid in his own chair. He glanced at her for a moment, then frowned and moved to the seat at her side. His hand rested on her knee at her confused look. "I wanted to be closer," he explained. "Anyway, I know a few people who know the owner, so they bumped me up the list." He lifted his wine glass, tilted it towards her in salute. "It's the least I could do after you dropped ten grand to win a date."_

" _I told you," she argued, "I only did it so I could control it and keep you out of the paper for the wrong reasons." She leaned in. "I couldn't have them making assumptions about orgies with barely-legal prostitutes again, not while I have anything to say about it."_

" _Oh that one was definitely_ not _an assumption," Castle countered, his eyes glazing over for a moment before he blinked and brought his gaze back to her. "So how is it that a gorgeous, powerful woman like you, hasn't been snatched up by a handsome, equally powerful man?"_

 _Kate felt her face flush, but she kept her eyes on him. "Maybe I just haven't found the right man," she teased._

" _Maybe you_ think _you haven't."_

 _She chuckled at the slow wink he gave her, rolling her eyes to try to play it off, but she couldn't ignore the way her pulse quickened and she suddenly couldn't breathe._ No, Kate, _she chided herself,_ he's just being a tool. No need to freak out over it. " _Is that so?" She leaned in closer, so they were just inches apart, her eyes flicking to his mouth. "And just what, exactly, would_ you _suggest I look for to find this 'right man?'"_

 _Castle paused, his eyes never leaving her face as the waiter brought the first course of the tasting menu. "You need someone who will keep up with you," he finally answered. "You're independent, ambitious, stubborn. So whomever you're with needs to be able to come to terms that he won't be able to control or dominate you, except occasionally in the bedroom, of course," he added, his eyes darkening. "But you're sensitive, too. So someone who will be tender, sweet. Surprise you with flowers, or show up at work with coffee. Someone who will treat you with the love and respect that you deserve."_

 _Kate smiled and ducked her head, not for the first time wishing her hair was longer so it would hide her face. Instead she played with the edge of the tablecloth, trying to ignore the heat of Castle's touch on her knee, the way his thumb drew circles on her thigh. "What about you?" she finally asked, lifting her head again. "You were married once, any desire to do it again?"_

 _Castle snorted and shook his head. "No, no way. I'm good with what I have."_

" _And what is that, flings with socialites, wild parties that leave you hungover for days?" The moment the words left her mouth, Kate wished she could take them back. She saw his face fall, his eyes darken, and he drew his hand back._

 _Castle inched his chair to the side, away from her, his eyes glued to the food on his plate. "Marriage isn't all that it's cracked up to be," he mumbled, picking up his fork._

" _Rick…"_

" _Don't worry about it," he interrupted, taking a bite of his food. "Let's just eat, okay?"_

 _They ate their first few courses in relative silence, Kate trying to start up the conversation again, Castle shutting her down every time. Finally she gave up, resorting to only commenting on the food, the next few hours passing slowly. It wasn't until the dessert came out that Castle spoke more than a few words._

" _You know I was married once," he began, picking at his (food from the menu). "It was fun for awhile, and then…well, it didn't work out."_

" _What happened?" she asked after a few moments of silence, prodding._

 _Castle shook his head, his eyes glued on the table. "It didn't work out," he repeated. "Marriage isn't for everyone, my ex and me included." He sighed, then finally brought his gaze back up to meet Kate's. "I mean, maybe I'm not completely opposed to it. I like the idea of it, you know? Of being with someone who you love, and who loves you, challenges you. I guess I just haven't found the right woman yet." His hand found her knee again and he squeezed, flashed her a smile. "Wanna get out of here?"_

 _Kate grinned. "Absolutely."_

* * *

 _A/N: Sorry for the wait with this chapter; it was stubborn and didn't want to cooperate. But thank you for the continued support, and as always, to Callie for her encouragement and pom poms and beta work!_


	9. Chapter 9

**FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT THIS FIC IS RATED M.**

* * *

 **PROPINQUITY  
** **CHAPTER NINE**

* * *

"Have I told you yet that I love this dress?" Castle husked a few nights later as he scooted closer to her. They were in his limo, and Castle's hand skimmed along her knee, to flirt with the short hemline of her cocktail dress.

Kate shifted closer, trailed her hand up his arm to curl around his neck. "Yes, but you can definitely tell me again," she teased, her fingers brushing the hair at his nape. "Better yet," she continued, hiking her thigh over his and smudging her lips against his stubbled jaw, "why don't you show me?"

Castle let out a low growl and turned his head to capture her lips with his, his hand trailing up her thigh, gripping her ass to pull her onto his lap. He groaned and pulled his head away when her hips rocked against his. "We shouldn't right now."

Kate gripped his shoulders and ground her hips into his. "You're probably right." She moaned when his fingers slid beneath her panties, where she was already hot and slick and ready, and she couldn't stop her hips from rolling. "Shit, Castle." Her hands snuck between them and grabbed his belt, but before she could unbuckle it the car rolled to a stop.

"Shit," Castle swore, and he helped her scramble off of his lap. He took a few deep breaths and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Good thing your slacks are loose," Kate teased, palming him, and giggling at his sharp inhale. She leaned into him, her hand dangerously high on his thigh. "We'll finish this later," she whispered with a nip to his earlobe. She slid away from him when the car door opened, and pushed him out, following close behind.

They walked past the handful of reporters lining the short red carpet, Kate a step behind, resisting the temptation to lace her arm, or hand, through his. "Who are we here for again?" she asked as they walked through the door.

"Alex Conrad." Castle reached back and took her hand, tucked it into the crook of his arm. "He's an up-and-coming author, they call him 'the next Rick Castle.' And you know how I feel about a good party."

"Richard."

Kate felt Castle freeze at the sound of his publisher's voice, and she swore under her breath before they turned to face her. She felt his bicep flex under her hand, and she gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Gina," he returned, his voice cool. "Good to see you."

Gina crossed her arms, and Kate didn't miss the way her eyes flicked to her hand on Castle's arm. "You've been avoiding my calls. Busy writing, I hope?"

"Actually, yes. I've been working on that new project I told you about a few weeks ago."

Kate's head snapped up to look at him in surprise. New project? She vaguely recalled overhearing him mention he'd been thinking about a new character, but that had been several weeks before. She had no idea he was actually writing it.

"I hope you haven't forgotten that your contract is for Storm, not for a different character."

"Don't worry, Gina," Castle said with a finality to his tone, turning away from her. "You won't be disappointed."

Gina grabbed Kate's arm before she was able to walk away, and Kate nodded at Castle to keep going.

"You two look pretty cozy," Gina said pointedly, a raised eyebrow accenting her tone. "I just hope he's not getting too…distracted."

"You hired me to improve his public image, Gina. So let me ask you, has he been on Page Six lately, for acting out?" Kate asked, crossing her arms. "Has he been arrested, or gotten caught in any compromising positions?" When Gina just pursed her lips and glared, she continued. "No. I'm accompanying him here as part of my job. So if you'll excuse me, I have a _client_ to be with."

She found Castle at the bar, where he handed her a martini. She hesitated for just a moment before downing the whole thing in just a few swallows, and when Castle just stared at her in surprise, she stole a sip of his scotch. "Thanks, Castle."

Castle smirked. "What did Gina have to say?"

"Oh, she was just worried that you might have your priorities mixed up," she explained after giving him a look. "She thinks I'm a distraction."

Castle motioned for another martini for her. "She's mistaken, just so you know. You're not a distraction. You're an inspiration."

Kate studied him for a few moments while she sipped her drink. He was smiling at her, an honest smile, and she didn't see any of the smirk or teasing glint that was so often present in his features. "So," she finally said, "new project? New character?"

Castle grinned. "Yep. And that's all I'm prepared to say at this point." He took her hand and pulled her away from the bar. "Come on, there's a few people I want you to meet."

The next couple hours passed by more slowly than she'd ever experienced. Castle introduced her to various authors, both represented by Black Pawn and not, including a few whom he affectionately referred to as part of his "poker club." She barely registered the conversations she was a part of; her focus was completely on Castle. His hand on her back when he guided her towards someone, his arm brushing hers, his gesturing hands as he spoke. Her mind kept wandering to the way his thick fingers could make her feel, how they curled inside her while his thumb worked at her, how he could make her scream with just a few well-placed nudges. And her eyes kept glancing at his mouth, her mouth watering when his tongue would dart out to wet his lips, and she wanted that tongue and those lips on her, in her, around her.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. When Castle excused them from a conversation with some editor whose name she didn't even remember, she grabbed his arm and tugged him towards a hallway she'd spotted earlier. "I need to talk to you," she snapped at his question of where they were going, and when she noticed a door that said _Supply Closet_ , she turned the knob and pushed him inside.

"What are you-"

She shut him up with a shove against the door, and when her mouth met his in a frenzied, frantic kiss, he gripped her hips and spun her around, trapping her against the wall. She moaned when he dropped to his knees and nudged her underwear to the side, drawing a finger through her folds and circling her clit.

"Holy shit you're wet," he breathed against her, and she had to cover her mouth so she could muffle her groan when his breath washed over her. He nudged her thigh, curling his hand around her hip when she draped it over his shoulder, and when his tongue pressed against her clit, she shuddered and dug her heel into his back.

"Fuck, Castle, get up here," she gasped, but he just shook his head against her and slid two fingers inside. A few well-places thrusts, and a press against _that spot_ that he'd found their first night, and she was gone, one hand finding purchase in his hair, the other pressed against her mouth.

She opened her eyes to find Castle on his haunches, staring up at her, a grin on his face. She held her hand out and helped him up, pulled him in for a kiss. Her tongue swiped against his, and her hands dropped, found him hot and hard through the fabric of his trousers. Before she could turn him around against the door, though, the knob rattled, and they froze.

"Shit," Castle whispered, his eyes wide, and she giggled into his shoulder as she dropped her forehead. "You have a story to explain this?" he asked, glancing down at himself.

Kate felt her face flush. "You're the writer," she teased back, but she was careful to avoid brushing against him, lest she make his _growing_ problem worse. She adjusted the strap of her dress. "Follow my lead, and try not to look like you just got me off," she added, carding her fingers through his hair to tame his locks.

Castle's fingers followed her path, then reached under her skirt to adjust her underwear back in place. "You've been wanting that all night, admit it."

"Shut up." Kate gave him one more look, and, running her fingers through her hair, and hoped she looked presentable enough that it wasn't completely obvious that _something_ had happened. She gripped the strap of her dress, and opened the door to find one of the workers standing in the hallway, looking very confused. "Sorry," she said immediately, her tone apologetic. "I had a wardrobe malfunction. Is there a back door? My strap came undone, and we couldn't get it to stay together."

The young lady gave her a soft smile. "Of course, miss. This way."

Kate pushed Castle when he started to follow her. "No, you go out there, say goodbye to Gina so she doesn't think you just skipped out. I'll meet you in the limo."

* * *

She had just sat down in the limo when Castle joined her, and they'd barely pulled from the curb when she slid towards him and grabbed his belt. They'd already been interrupted twice; no more. She wanted him inside her, to just _fuck_ her already, and her fingers stumbled over themselves as she tried to undo his belt.

Castle chuckled, a low sound that sent heat right to her core, and he helped her undo his pants, was just able to nudge his boxers past his hips and slip a condom on before she was on him, _around_ him. They groaned together when she sank onto him, underwear pushed to the side, and rolled her hips. "Anxious?" he managed to gasp.

Kate reached behind her to unzip her dress, the straps sliding down of their own accord, the front getting caught at the soft mounds of her breasts. "I've been wanting this all night," she admitted, her fingers interlocking at the nape of his neck and pulling him towards her chest. Her head fell forward on a gasp when his chin nudged her dress aside and his mouth covered her breast through the lace of her bra.

They froze when the limo came to a stop; through the haze of her arousal, Kate vaguely recalled telling the driver to take them to her apartment, since it was closer. But before she could scramble off Castle's lap, he reached over to the button for the partition between the front and the back, and cracked it open.

"Just drive until we tell you to stop," he called out, and at the driver's "Yes, sir," closed the partition and brought his mouth to her other breast.

She managed to rock against him, her fingers digging into his jacket for leverage as she moved her hips. She cried out when the car hit a bump, causing Castle's hips to jerk and his cock hit her even deeper, and one hand drifted to press against her own clit.

"I got it," Castle mumbled against her chest, and he batted her hand aside, his own thumb applying the stimulation she so desperately needed.

Kate could feel herself climbing, her hips moving uncontrollably, and when Castle's teeth grazed her nipple, she cried out, hips jerking as she held his head against her chest, and she stilled on top of him. She vaguely registered his cry of release, the feel of him pulsing inside her, the shuddering exhale as he relaxed underneath her.

Castle told the driver to take them back to her place, and he zipped up her dress, gave her a smirk when she took off her underwear. He swiped them from her hands and stuffed them in his coat pocket with a wag of his eyebrows. "Uncomfortable?"

"Shut up," Kate mumbled as she slid off him, adjusting her skirt beneath her. She crossed her arms in mock annoyance, but let Castle tug her to his side and draw her lips to his in a soft kiss. Their mouths moved together, his hand at her jaw, and she curled her fingers in the lapels of his jacket as she canted into him.

She pulled away when the limo rolled to a stop, face surely flushed, and couldn't stop herself from smiling at the look of utter bliss on his face. "You wanna come up?"

"As if you even have to ask?"

She was careful to avoid eye contact with the driver; even with the partition up, it had to have been obvious what they'd been doing in the back. But Castle just thanked him and slid a few bills into his hand, and she slid her arm through his, let him lead her into her building. It wasn't smart, she thought as her head dropped to his shoulder, but she didn't care. The odds were low that there would be any photographers there, she reasoned, but she found herself gripping his arm tighter as they walked through the lobby.

Let them take her picture. Let them write the headlines that would inevitably be denied. She knew how she felt about him, physically and otherwise. She didn't care what anybody else said.

Her head snapped up from his shoulder at the thought. She _should_ care; the number one thing Gina and Paula had said to her when they'd hired her was that sleeping with Castle could not happen. Because the last PR manager they'd hired had fallen hard for him after doing just that, and when he'd moved on to his next conquest, she'd been heartbroken and quit.

But Kate refused to let that happen. Her words to Gina earlier had been true: Castle hadn't had any bad press in weeks. His photo op at the hospital was slated for the following week, and she knew it could only be good for him, to show his sensitive and caring side. She'd witnessed it first hand a few times now, having accompanied him, and she couldn't help but feel herself falling for him even more.

 _Stop it, Kate,_ she berated herself as they got off the elevator and approached her door, but despite the pestering voice in the back of her head that told her this was a bad idea, she let him in and to her bedroom, disrobing each other on the way.

It wasn't until she was hovering over him, batting his distracting hands to the side, when she realized why her search for a condom was coming up empty.

"Fuck," she breathed, but it wasn't from his talented hands, even from the feel of him hard between them, trapped between her thighs. She closed her eyes. "I forgot to get condoms."

"It's fine, you're in the pill, right?" Castle gripped her hips and tried to nudge her above him.

"Hang on." Kate scrambled off his lap to sit on her knees, gave him what she hoped was a firm glare. "I'm on the pill, yes. And I know I'm fine. But…"

Castle propped himself on his elbows. "But what?"

"You kind of have...a reputation," she admitted after a long silence. When he just stared at her, his expression blank, she continued, nervous. "I'm not saying you...or that…I mean…" She brought her gaze back up to Castle only to find him smirking, light dancing in his eyes. "What?"

"Nothing," Castle chuckled, "you're cute when you're flustered."

Kate crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow. "Cute? You're going to call me cute when we're horny and naked and lacking an essential piece of protection?"

Castle took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together, and tugged her to him as he sat all the way up. "You don't have to worry about me," he assured her, his voice soft, a hand coming up to frame her face. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, and his thumb stroked her cheek as he continued. "I just got tested a few weeks ago. I'm good."

"But…"

"I haven't been with anyone else since we started sleeping together, Kate."

Kate's eyes fluttered closed at his words, and she let herself melt into his touch for just a moment. "You're sure?" she finally asked, her eyes opening, brows furrowed.

Castle chuckled. "I'm sure. If it would make you more comfortable, I'll leave. I can show you the test results, whatever you want." He brought both hands down to sit on her knees. "I like you, Kate. I probably haven't done anything to show you that, but I like you, and I wouldn't want to hurt you."

Kate studied him for a few moments, searching his face for any sign of lying, or deception. But she saw none. He was being as honest as he'd been when he'd told her about the hospital, about how much visiting the kids meant to him. So she leaned forward, taking his face in her hands, and brought her lips to his. "I like you too," she admitted when they parted. "And I trust you."

* * *

"I want to tell you about something."

Kate looked up from her breakfast the next morning to find Castle staring at her, his expression blank, but something in his eyes that betrayed him. Her heart sunk; whatever he had to say, it was serious. She set her fork down and took a final sip of her coffee. "What's up?" she asked, her elbows on the table, trying to keep her voice calm.

Castle stood and held his hand out, led her to the couch when she took it. "You know that the hospital is important to me," he began, his thumb tracing circles on the back of her hand. "But I want you to know why."

Kate shifted and curled her leg beneath her, turning to face him. she was tempted to prod, or to guess, but she stayed silent, let him speak in his time.

"I had a daughter."

* * *

 _A/N: Thank you for your continued support with this fic!_


	10. Chapter 10

**PROPINQUITY  
** **CHAPTER TEN**

* * *

" _I had a daughter."_

Kate's eyebrows shot up at his words. A daughter? _Had?_ She thought back to all the articles she'd read about him, both before and after he was a client. Even the file Black Pawn had provided her made no mention of a daughter.

 _Had?_

Her mind whirled with questions, but she stayed silent, simply squeezed his hand in encouragement.

Castle gave her a tight-lipped smile, then continued, his eyes on the coffee table in front of them. "Before I got famous, when I only had a couple mediocre titles to my name, I got a girl pregnant. We'd only seen each other a handful of times, we were far from exclusive. But I wanted to do the right thing, so we got married. The marriage was fine, the pregnancy went well, everything was okay. When Alexis was born, my whole world changed. Here was this tiny human, who could do nothing for herself, and Meredith and I were completely responsible for keeping her alive. She was perfect. Small, but some babies are small, right? We didn't know."

Kate gave him an encouraging smile when his voice wavered, and shifted next to him, a supportive hand landing between his shoulder blades. "What happened?" she prodded after a long moment of silence.

Castle shook his head, his gaze straight ahead. "Something just wasn't right. She wouldn't grow. After a few months we took her to the doctor, they did a bunch of tests, found out her red and white blood cell counts were low. She didn't have leukemia, so they did even more tests, found a problem with her pancreas and bone marrow."

He finally looked at her, and she saw the hurt in his eyes, the unshed tears shimmering. She rubbed her hand across his shoulders, gave him a nod.

"Long story short," Castle continued, a hand finding her knee and squeezing, "she needed a bone marrow transplant. Neither of us was a match, my mom wasn't a match, Meredith's parents were gone…" He sniffled, wiped the fallen tears from his cheeks. "I know what it's like for those families I visit. What it's like to sit around and wait, not know whether your child will live or die. The worst feeling in the world is watching your baby die because you can't do a damn thing to save her."

He broke down, then, and Kate drew herself to him, her arms around his shoulders as he leaned forward. She brushed her fingers through his hair as he cried, and she felt her own tears fall, unhindered down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry," she whispered into his hair, between comforting kisses. "God, I'm sorry. I can't even imagine."

Castle's sobs eventually stopped and he sat up, wipes his cheeks, and took a deep, shuddering breath. "Sorry. I didn't mean to break down like that."

"Don't apologize, Rick." She was about to ask about Meredith, what happened to their marriage, when he stood.

"I should get going," he said, wiping his palms on his pants. He bent down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, his hand against her back. "Thanks for listening."

"Rick-"

"I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Kate could only sit as he grabbed his coat and left. The door closed with a quiet click, and she just stared at it, dumbfounded.

* * *

He didn't talk to her later.

She expected him to call, but as the afternoon ticked into evening and her phone remained silent, she called him, but it went straight to voicemail.

It wasn't until the next morning, as she was cleaning up from breakfast, that she heard her phone ping with a text.

 _Can you come over?_

She replied without any hesitation. _Of course. When?_

 _Now?_

She was out the door within minutes, tugging her arms through a sweatshirt as she stepped into the elevator. She couldn't imagine what Castle had gone through; the struggles she and her mom had had when her dad was in rehab paled in comparison. But that had mostly been in the press, questioning her dad's record, his integrity. Losing a child? It was unfathomable.

Half an hour later she was knocking on his door, and she gave him a sad smile when he opened it. His eyes were rimmed with red, and he looked tired, the circles beneath his eyes betraying the smile he gave her.

"Hey," he said, his voice rough. "Thanks for coming over."

She reached out for his hand, her thumb tracing his knuckles. "Of course. You okay?" She let him lead her towards the living room, where she saw the half-empty bottle of whiskey on the coffee table, but no glass. She turned to see him watching her, his expression unreadable. "Did you sleep at all?"

Castle shook his head. "Not really. Dozed off a few times, but every time I closed my eyes I was back in that hospital room with Alexis."

"Rick," she breathed, cupping the back of his neck. "What can I do?"

"I don't know," he admitted, his voice cracking as his eyes filled with tears. "Just...can you stay awhile? The silence gets to me."

Kate toed off her shoes. "Of course." She led him towards his bedroom, intending to lead him to the shower; as they passed through his office she noticed the picture on his desk, of an infant with a shock of bright red hair, fast asleep on the chest of a man she recognized as a younger version of the one standing next to her. She froze and picked it up. He must have recently put it out, as she hadn't seen it before, not in the dozens of times she'd been in there. "Is this her?" she asked, picking it up.

Castle dropped her hand and stuffed his into the pockets of his sweatpants. "Yeah." His voice cracked. "She's just a couple weeks old there, before we even suspected anything was wrong." He took the picture from her and caressed the glass, a tender smile on his face. "She was perfect, Kate. She'd be crying, and I'd pick her up, hold her to my chest, and she'd just fall asleep. I could almost hold her in one hand when she was born, she was so small."

Kate propped her chin on his shoulder. "She was beautiful, Rick." Her hand came up to rub his back, and she felt his muscles start to relax under her touch. "Tell me about her."

And he did, from the cooing sounds she'd make when he rubbed her belly, to the way she squirmed when she was swaddled, how she had so much hair he'd make a mohawk every time he gave her a bath. Kate kept her arms around him the whole time, squeezing his shoulder or dusting a kiss along his neck when his voice would crack.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked when he finally fell silent, and at his nod, she cleared her throat. "What happened with your wife? Meredith?"

Castle let out a throaty chuckle and put the picture of Alexis back on the desk. "Neither of us handled it well," he admitted, turning to perch on the edge of his desk, facing Kate. "I turned to writing to help me grieve. I could solve the character's problems, give them the happy ending that I lost. Meredith, she…" He sighed. "She buried herself in her work, but after a few weeks I found out that wasn't all the burying that was helping her cope." He crossed his arms. "It was only a matter of time before things would have ended, but the last straw was when I caught her fucking her director."

"Jesus Christ."

"Yeah, that's what she was screaming when I walked in." Castle shook his head. "I threw her out, and she was on a flight to LA the next morning. I drew up divorce papers that afternoon and we haven't spoken since." He shrugged and reached his hand out, pulled Kate closer to him. "Writing alone didn't help, though. So I figured if fucking around helped Meredith move on, maybe it would work for me too. And the 'free spirit bachelor' image seemed to sell books, so I just rolled with it."

Kate looped her arms around his neck. "And now? How's that working out for you?"

Another shrug. "It's been fine. More than fine, really. But now…" He sighed, his hands landing on her hips. "I haven't told anyone about Alexis in years, not since Gina and I were together."

"Why'd you tell me?"

"Because I trust you." His fingers slipped under the waistband of her pants, but he wasn't tugging them down; they were just resting on her skin. "I wasn't lying when I said I like you. But you've earned my trust, my respect." He tugged her between his legs. "When I said I didn't want to publicly visit the hospital, you honored that. That means a lot to me, Kate."

Kate couldn't stop her smile; when she was hired, she just wanted to improve his public image, fulfill her contract, and move on. But two months into the three month contract, she wasn't sure she could walk away from Castle when it was all done. She slid her fingers through the fine hairs at his nape, and leaned down to meet his lips in a soft kiss. "Thank you for telling me," she whispered, her eyes boring into his. "I promise you, I won't tell anyone."

* * *

"What the hell is this?"

Kate woke with a start to the newspaper being thrown on the nightstand. She yawned as she sat up; she'd spent the whole day and night with Castle, just lounging around the loft, reading, having sex, they'd even watched a movie. And it had been absolute heaven.

But as she took in the fire in his eyes, the set line of his jaw, she knew something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

And as soon as she saw the paper, open to Page Six, she knew.

 _Author's Family Tragedy Revealed_.

A glance through the article told her more than enough. Someone had told the reporter about Alexis. Rick had kept it completely out of public knowledge, only publicly admitting that his divorce was messy, and now it was there.

"Rick…"

"How'd they find out?" he snapped, standing at the end of the bed, his arms crossed.

Kate shook her head. "I have no idea." When she looked up at him and saw him glaring at her, his eyebrows raised, her jaw dropped. "You can't possibly think I did this?"

"Can't I?" He started to pace. "I told you about her the day before yesterday. This is _not_ a coincidence." He sighed and came to a standstill, turning to face her again. "I told you that in confidence. You said you wouldn't tell anyone, and _two days later_ it's in the fucking newspaper!"

"Rick, I never-"

"I don't believe you," he interrupted, his voice getting louder with every word. "I _trusted_ you, Kate."

Kate scrambled out of bed and to him, but when she grabbed his arm, he shook her off and turned away. "Rick, please, you have to believe me. I would _never_ do this," she insisted, pleading. Her heart broke for him; however the reporter had gotten the story, it wasn't from either of them, but he was too mad to see it.

Castle spun around and fixed his glare on her. "I don't _have_ to believe you. Kate. I don't _have_ to do anything." He let out a low grumble when she reached for him again, and he took a step back, grabbed her pants off the floor. "Get out."

Kate caught her pants when he flung them at her, but she just stared at him, frozen in place, as he stalked out of the bedroom. After a few moments she slid her pants on and followed him to the kitchen, where he was reaching for a bottle of whiskey. She tried to grab it out of his hand, but he tugged it away. "I had nothing to do with it, Rick. Please, can we talk about this?"

Castle just glared at her, his jaw set, face hard. "Just get the fuck out of my house."

She hesitated, sweatshirt in one hand and phone in the other, but when he just turned from her, shoulders slumped in defeat, she sighed and shut the door behind her. _What the fuck just happened?_

She dialed as she waited for the elevator, and when the phone picked up, she didn't even hesitate. "Lanie, it's me. We have a problem."

"Kate?" Lanie mumbled through the phone. "You know what time it is?"

Kate glanced at her phone; oh, it wasn't even 6. Well. Too damn bad. "Get to my place as soon as you can."

"What happened?"

"I don't know, but I need to fix it." She was home in less than twenty minutes, the cab she'd caught making good time in the light early morning traffic. She managed a quick shower before Lanie arrived, and she opened the door to her best friend and business partner while running a towel through her hair. "We have a problem," she said in lieu of a greeting.

Lanie's eyebrows shot up. "I figured. Please tell me you already started the coffee."

Kate punched the coffee pot's power button. "There. It's been started. Normally I'd say that what I'm about to tell you stays between us, but it's already out there."

"What?"

"Castle had a daughter."

Lanie's mouth dropped and she sank onto a bar stool. "What? When? Had?"

"Yep." Kate slid onto a stool across from her. "Had. She died in infancy. It's actually why he got divorced. Long story short, his daughter needed a bone marrow transplant, she couldn't get one, she died, he and his wife split."

"Jesus, that's awful." Lanie was silent while Kate poured them both coffee. "I can't imagine."

Kate shook her head. "Me neither. But that's not why you're here. He told me the story in confidence. He's never shared it publicly, he's kept it out of his official biography, everything. All the public knows is that he was divorced once and it was a bad one. And I wouldn't even be telling you if I didn't feel like I had to."

"And I'm going to guess that something happened to make you feel the need to tell me," Lanie finished with a nod. "What happened?"

"Someone leaked it." Kate gripped her coffee mug, knuckles white as she just stared into the dark liquid. She didn't even want to drink it, had made it almost out of habit. "It showed up in the paper this morning, and he thinks it was me. He thinks I talked."

"Shit."

"Exactly." She handed Lanie the paper that had been waiting at her doorstep when she got home, opened to Page Six. "You know the reporter, right? Think I can get in to see her?"

Lanie raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, but I don't know that you'll get anything. You know how they are about their sources." She let out a low whistle as she skimmed the article. "Damn, Kate. Is this all true?"

Kate nodded. "Yeah. You don't know how much I wish it wasn't." She groaned and leaned against the counter, her head in her hands. "Shit, Lanie. I need to fix this."

"No, _we_ need to. And we will."

* * *

 _A/N: The disease I referred to is called Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome, a sometimes-fatal sometimes-not disease. Thanks to Callie for providing the disease and beta services, any mistakes are mine and mine alone. Thank you!_


	11. Chapter 11

**PROPINQUITY  
** **CHAPTER ELEVEN**

* * *

Kate paced outside the _New York Ledger_ building the next day, phone in hand, Castle's contact information on the screen. She'd almost called him half a dozen times, but he'd ignored her call the previous day, so she didn't have high hopes that he'd answer. He was probably still mad, but…maybe he'd answer. Maybe he'd be more receptive.

Her call went straight to voicemail. _Or not._

"Castle, hey, it's me. I know you're mad, I completely understand. I'm meeting with the reporter in a few minutes. Hopefully I can get to the bottom of this. I just…" She sighed. "I hope you believe me when I say I had _nothing_ to do with the story. I wouldn't...I like you, Rick," she admitted on another sigh. "I would never do that to you." She looked up and saw the receptionist waving her over. "I gotta go. I'll talk to you later, I hope."

"Ms. Beckett? Donna's waiting for you," the receptionist announced, waving her arm towards the bank of elevators on the other side of the lobby. "She's on the twelfth floor."

"Thanks." She slid her phone in her purse and tugged at the hem of her blouse, to give her hands something to do as the elevator ascended. She'd spoken to reporters, of course; her job was essentially working with the media. She'd even worked with this one before. But this time, it was different. This time, it wasn't just her job.

It was personal.

"Kate, hi," Donna greeted her as soon as the doors opened, hand extended. "Good to see you."

"Yeah, you too." Kate followed Donna to her desk and pulled up a chair across from her. "You know why I'm here, right?"

Donna nodded. "I'm not going to tell you my source, Kate. You know that."

"Look, it's not just an article, not this time. I don't want to go after this person. But her medical records were confidential-"

"And details of her medical condition were not disclosed," Donna interrupted. "The article is completely legal, Kate." When Kate opened her mouth to argue, she continued. "And no, it's not slander, or character defamation. It does nothing but make people more empathetic to him. Kid dies in infancy, the resulting divorce, his partying as a coping mechanism? The recent turnaround? The story writes itself."

Kate leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, tempted to argue, but the words wouldn't come. Donna was right; the article, essentially an expose on the tragedy he suffered, wasn't untrue, or negative to him at all. But it also hadn't been authorized. "The fact is," she finally said, "you should have called. You should have come to me to verify the story, to request an interview, something."

"Like you wouldn't run with it too? Come on, Kate. You know that if he'd told you about it that you would have called me in minutes." Donna raised her eyebrows at Kate's silence. "He did tell you. And you didn't publicize it? Why not?"

"Because I promised him I wouldn't." Kate leaned forward again. "He told me in confidence."

"You like him."

"What? No." She scrunched her nose, feigning disgust, but Donna just smirked at her. "As his publicist, it's my job to not only control his public persona and image, but to earn his trust so he'll let me do just that. I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone about his daughter, but then you published your article, and he fired me because he thinks I'm your source. He thinks I betrayed his trust. But if I can tell him who actually _did_ talk to you-"

"Not gonna happen, Kate." Donna stood and started walking towards the elevator, and Kate had no choice but to follow. "I'm sorry, I am. But you're not the only one with a job to do."

* * *

Kate almost didn't go to the hospital the following week. Castle still wasn't taking her calls, and Gina and Paula also weren't speaking to her. Not that she could blame them; if the roles were reversed, she'd probably do the same thing.

But it still hurt.

She'd made the arrangements for this photo op weeks before, though. The photographer was a friend, and part of her felt obliged. The other part, the part that remembered what Castle was like during the other visits she'd accompanied him on, wanted to see him. She wanted to watch him with the kids, the parents, even the staff. So she went. She wasn't going to stay, just watch him from the shadows for a few minutes, then leave.

Well, that had been the plan.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Kate winced at the hushed question, the anger bleeding through, and turned to see the object of her thoughts glaring at her from just a few feet away. "Nothing," she replied, turning to face him square on. "I just came to see the kids."

"Bullshit," Castle spat, leaning forward, glancing around. "I told you I didn't want to see you."

"Yeah, well, I didn't come here for you." Kate turned from him, but before she could take a step she felt his hand on her arm, and she was facing him once again. "What do you want, Castle?"

Castle scoffed. "What do I want? I want you gone. I want you out of my life."

"I swear to you, I didn't-"

"Leak the story. Yeah, I heard you the first twelve times." Castle crossed his arms over his chest. "Stop calling me, Beckett. We're done."

Kate opened her mouth to protest, to insist the truth, but his steely glare and set jaw told her that no matter what, he wasn't going to believe her. Any feelings he may have had were gone, outweighed by the betrayal he obviously felt. Nothing she could say would make it better, so she just gave him a small nod, turned on her heel, and left.

* * *

She woke the next morning with the sun in her eyes and a splitting headache; groaning, she rolled over to go back to sleep…

And promptly fell on the floor.

 _What the fuck?_

She pushed herself off the ground, and when she looked around she realized she was in her living room. _Oh...right…_

Kate did drink, but it was mostly social. A drink or two with dinner, the occasional night out with Lanie and other girlfriends. But rarely did she drink emotionally or to cope with something, not after going through what she did with her dad. And never at home, alone.

But she did the previous night, and she was paying for it. One glass of wine while waiting for takeout to arrive had turned into two, and then three, and when the bottle was empty she'd switched to vodka.

She dragged herself to the bathroom, where she managed to get in the shower without being sick, and just stood there for several minutes before grabbing her shampoo.

By the time she finished getting ready and drank a few glasses of water she was starting to feel human again; she grabbed her phone from under the coffee table, where she'd evidently dropped it the night before, and checked for messages, both incoming and outgoing.

She'd always been able to hold her liquor, but the one thing she'd never been able to stop completely was drunk texting. A quick check to her sent messages eased her fears: no drunk texts to Castle. A few to Lanie _about_ him, sure, but none directly to him.

 _Oh thank God._

The knock on her door came an hour later as she was cleaning up from breakfast and the night before; assuming it was Lanie checking up on her, she didn't bother looking through the peephole. As soon as she opened the door, though, she wished she had.

Castle was standing on the other side, hands in the pockets of well-worn jeans, his hair ruffled and shoulders slumped. He looked at her with sad eyes, his face serious. "Hi," he said, his voice rough. He cleared his throat. "Can we talk?"

Kate crossed her arms, mirroring his pose from the previous day at the hospital. "I thought we were done," she snapped, her voice cold. "I thought you wanted me out of your life."

Castle nodded, his eyes downcast. "I'm sorry for what I said. I was angry, I felt betrayed. Hurt. But it doesn't excuse me, doesn't excuse the fact that I refused to listen to you." He sighed and brought his gaze to meet hers. "It was Gina," he admitted after a long moment. "Gina called the _Ledger_."

Kate could only blink. "Are you serious?" His own publisher? "How do you know?"

"She told me." Castle shrugged. "After you left the hospital yesterday, I got to thinking. It didn't make sense to me that you'd come if you'd been the one to leak the story. So, I stopped by Black Pawn on my way home. Gina was there, drawing up contract termination papers for you, and she seemed happy. _Too_ happy."

"So what, you just asked her?"

"Pretty much," Castle confirmed with a nod.

They stood in silence for a few long moments, Kate watching him for any sign that he was lying, but she didn't find any. Finally, she took a deep breath. "What happened?"

"I walked out." He shrugged. "She did it to get rid of you. I don't know why, and I don't care. It was immoral and unprofessional, and I'm done working with her. Either they'll get me someone else to work with, or I'm finding a new publisher."

Kate just stared at him for a few long moments, an argument with herself in full swing. She wanted to let him in; she felt the familiar heat in her blood at his proximity, her fingers itching to brush his hair off his forehead and run along his scruff. But, physical lust aside, she hesitated. She understood where he was coming from,but he still shut her out, refused to even listen to her. Ignored her calls.

He could have at least _pretended_ to listen to her side.

"Anyway," Castle continued at her silence, "I just wanted to let you know. I can't even begin to express how sorry I am at how I reacted, how I treated you. I just…" He trailed off with a sigh. "It doesn't matter. I just need you to know that I'm sorry, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

She watched as he nodded in resignation before turning and walking down the hall. It wasn't until the elevator pinged its arrival at her floor that she made up her mind. "Rick, wait," she called after him, letting the door shut behind her as she followed him. When he turned back to her, one eyebrow lifted in question, she sighed and continued. "Have you eaten breakfast?"

* * *

"This is great," Castle complimented her around a mouthful of French toast. "I didn't know you could cook."

Kate smiled into her coffee mug. "It's _my_ job to learn about _you,_ not the other way around." She saw his face fall at her words, and she set her mug on the table with a soft _thud_. "Well, it _was_ my job, anyway."

Castle leaned forward and held his hand out, but when she just leaned back in her chair, he withdrew his arm. "I'm sorry, Kate. I should have at least let you explain. I was just so mad, so hurt…"

"Rick. It's okay, I get it. Honestly, I probably would have reacted the same way." She shook her head. "I can't believe it was Gina. Why the hell would she do that? Just to get me fired?"

Castle shrugged. "Probably. I know she doesn't like you. She's never been the jealous type, but this…" He shifted the food on his plate with his fork. "Can we not talk about it anymore?"

"Sure," Kate agreed with a nod. "What do you want to talk about instead?"

"Us."

"Us?"

"Yeah. Paula wants me to hire you back. I told her no."

"What? Why would you do that? If you think you don't need a PR consultant anymore-"

"It's not that," Castle interrupted, following her when she took her plate into the kitchen. "Kate." He grabbed her elbow and turned her to face him. "I don't want you to be my PR consultant anymore. I don't want you to work for me."

"No?" Kate took a step back, until she was stopped by the sharp edge of the counter. "So what do you want?"

"You." His hand slid down her arm to grasp her fingers, his thumb brushing across her knuckles. "I want a relationship with you. One that doesn't consist of us sneaking in and out of each other's buildings in the middle of the night. One where you can come with me to a function without using your job as an excuse."

Okay, this was definitely not the Rick Castle that Kate was used to seeing. She was used to the playboy, the man who flirted with any woman he could. Who reminisced openly about his sexual exploits. Until he'd admitted that she'd been the only person he'd slept with since their first time, until he shared about his daughter, she assumed he had no desire to be in a relationship.

But the question was, did she want this? A relationship with Castle? He was definitely different than what the public seemed to see; she did enjoy being with him, had missed him over the previous week. And the sex was off the charts. She liked him...fuck, she _really_ liked him.

She curled her fingers around his and tugged him into her, then let go so she could loop her arms around his neck. "You sure?"

Castle grinned and dusted his lips across hers. "I'm sure."

"Good." She listed into him, their lips meeting again, moaning when his hands found her thighs and lifted her onto the counter. Her hips rolled of their own volition and she pulled off his sweater, hands brushing along his torso. God, she'd missed this. His skin under her hands, his hands and mouth on her, his - _oh shit_ \- okay, they needed to get to her a soft surface.

"Rick," she moaned, legs around his waist, ankles locked at the small of his back. "Bedroom."

Castle pulled her into his arms and started walking them down the hall. "Your wish is my command."

"Shit, Kate," Castle breathed, collapsing on his back. "That was amazing."

Kate chuckled from on top of him. "What, you think I'd already shown you all my tricks?" she teased, her chin on his chest. "Not even close."

Castle echoed her chuckle and ran his fingers along her shoulders, and she sighed and settled into his chest. "You sure about this?" he eventually asked, and Kate started against him.

"About what?"

"This. Us."

Kate pushed herself off him and leaned on her elbow so she could see his face. His brows were furrowed, concern lacing his features, and she couldn't help but trace her fingers along the lines on his forehead. "Why wouldn't I be?" she asked after a few long moments.

Castle shrugged a shoulder. "I'm a mess, Kate. You know that. Tragic past, bad reputation, the works. All I need is a leather jacket and motorcycle and you got yourself the stereotypical bad boy image. I'm not exactly the kind of guy you take home to meet Mom."

Kate smiled. "Actually, you're _exactly_ the kind of man my mom would want to meet," she admitted, and when he just stared, she continued. "My mom's kind of a fan."

Castle shifted to his side so they were facing each other. "Oh? And is she the only Beckett who's a fan?"

Kate felt her cheeks flush and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Shut up," she muttered.

Castle covered her hand with his, then traced it down the line of her body, over her shoulder, her waist, until he reached her hip and squeezed. "Make me."

Kate narrowed her eyes. "Oh, I'll make you all right." She leaned into him, letting him slip his thigh between hers, but when he tried to roll onto her she slipped out of his grasp. She giggled when he just stared at her, gaze following her to her door. "Nuh uh, stay there," she instructed when he started to get out of bed. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Where are you going?"

Kate gave him a slow wink. "To get some ice cubes." His loud groan of _oh, fuck_ followed her all the way to the kitchen.

* * *

 _A/N: I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am so sorry for the wait. I had a major block with this chapter. Thanks to Callie for all of her encouragement, any mistakes are mine, feedback welcome!_


	12. Chapter 12

**PROPINQUITY  
CHAPTER TWELVE**

* * *

"You ready for this?" Kate teased the following week, fingers laced through his as they stood in front of an apartment door. She could tell that Rick was nervous; his palm was clammy, and his leg had bounced during the whole car ride over. She squeezed his hand and smiled up at him when he looked at her. "You okay?"

Castle cleared his throat and nodded. "Sure. I'm fine. It's, ah...it's been awhile since I've met a girl's parents."

Kate chuckled and handed him the bouquet of flowers they'd picked up. "You don't have anything to worry about. Mom already loves you, and Dad…well…he's a little protective..." She trailed off, and bit back a smile as his eyes widened in horror. "I'm kidding, Rick," she insisted. "They're going to love you."

"If you say so," he muttered before knocking on the door.

It opened just moments later, much faster than it usually did, and she suspected that her mom had been standing on the other side, waiting. Kate just raised an eyebrow even as she was pulled into a hug. "Mom," she greeted her, eyes catching her dad with a bemused look on his face. When Kate pulled back, she turned to Castle, who was just standing there, flowers in hand. "Dad, this is Rick." She reached back and took his free hand, shaking it slightly to get him to look at her. "Hey."

Castle blinked and cleared his throat, then dropped Kate's hand to hold it out for her parents. "Mr. Beckett, nice to meet you."

"Please, call me Jim." He shook Castle's proffered hand, then turned to his wife. "Johanna's been looking forward to meeting you."

Castle threw Kate a smirk before turning to the older woman. "The pleasure's all mine."

Kate rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's apparent personality change. He'd been giving her grief ever since she'd mentioned her mom's love of his books; if he ever remembered that they'd met before, that she herself had gotten a book signed by him, he'd be insufferable. Considering his tendency to snoop, she was surprised he hadn't found her collection of his books. No, those were tucked away in the back of her closet, safely hidden from his prying eyes.

She nudged his shoulder. "You're not at a book signing, Castle," she teased. "You don't have to turn on the charm."

"Oh, but it definitely doesn't hurt," Johanna argued with a smile, taking Castle's arm and leading him into the living room. "So Rick, you must be excited for the next book to be released?"

"I am, yes. Although every release means I'm running out of time to finish the next one." He glanced back at Kate, motioned for her to follow him, but she just smiled and shook her head.

"She hasn't stopped talking about this all week," Jim said under his breath, as he and Kate detoured through the kitchen.

Kate picked up the plate of hors d'oeuvres from the counter and followed her dad to the living room. "Yeah, he hasn't either." She joined her boyfriend on the couch, painfully aware of her mom's eyes following her every move. Instead of curling her feet beneath her, or tucking her toes under Castle's thigh like she typically would, she occupied herself with cheese and crackers. "So, Castle, has my mom grilled you about Storm's next adventure yet?"

"Yes, and I told her what I tell you: no special privileges just because you know me." He stole a cracker from her plate. "Derrick's adventures are my secret until I'm ready for them to be uncovered."

Kate scoffed. He was right, he refused to give her any spoilers. What he didn't know, however, was that sometimes he talked in his sleep. She had yet to uncover any major plot points; lately, though, he'd been muttering the word "heat." She wasn't sure what it meant, but she'd vowed to find out.

She relaxed into the couch as he talked to her parents, watching, marveling at how he was acting. She'd watched Castle with fans and the families and kids at the hospital, and while he was always polite and gracious in public, tonight she was seeing a side of him she'd only seen in private. He was open, relaxed, unguarded. He answered questions about his writing and his work with the hospital honestly, and asked her parents about their work.

Kate had told him about her dad's addiction, how he'd spent a year in rehab, returned to law when getting out. At the insistence of Johanna, Jim had scaled back the number of clients; his absence had affected his reputation enough, though, that people were hesitant to hire him as a corporate lawyer. So, they opened their own practice.

"Kate tells me you're both civil rights lawyers? Can I ask what led you to that?"

"Of course," Johanna piped up. "Jim used to be a corporate lawyer, but he, uh, left that about twelve years ago." Her gaze drifted to Kate.

"I told him, Mom," Kate confirmed.

"I was in rehab for a year," Jim said. "When I was gone…" He trailed off, but after a nod from his wife, he continued. "My license was suspended, of course. I could have been disbarred, but Johanna went before the bar association and argued for suspension because I voluntarily entered rehab. But it affected Katie and Jo, as well; Jo was scrutinized at the DA's office, where she worked."

"That's one reason I went into PR," Kate interjected, glancing at Castle. "The press was awful. They absolutely crucified us, Mom and Dad in particular. It's one reason I went all the way to Stanford, to get some distance. But we've seen what bad press can do to someone's reputation. Even after Dad came back, there were still editorials and articles about whether he should be able to practice again."

"I left the DA's office a few months into Jim's rehab. They wouldn't let me in the courtroom, only wanted me in the office. I was basically a glorified paralegal, and they micromanaged the hell out of my work. So, I left."

"Why civil rights?"

Johanna set her plate down and took a sip of water, cleared her throat. "I saw too many people get put behind bars, or get handed unreasonable sentences, just because their lawyer was some court-appointed kid. Or worse, a burned-out defense attorney." She settled back in her chair. "Why do you think most lawyers go into the profession, Rick?"

Castle shrugged. "Mine does it for the money, I'm sure. He gets plenty from me. At least, he did," he added with a glance at Kate.

Johanna shook her head. "Everyone I knew at the DA's office joined to make a difference. They wanted to clean up the streets, make the bad guys pay." She chuckled. "Except one guy, but he was just a power-hungry ass. But in my time there, I realized it was less about justice, and more about politics. They only cared about conviction rates and not the little guy, and I didn't like that. So I decided to dedicate myself to help the little guy, and Jim joined as soon as he got his license back."

Castle smiled. "That's very admirable. If there's anything I can do to help, please, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, Rick. Katie, help me bring dinner to the table?"

Kate nudged Castle's shoulder when he smirked at her, and stood to join her mother in the kitchen. "Mom-"

"I told you so." Johanna pointed her finger at Kate, a grin on her face. "I knew he was a good guy. I told you so right from the start, but you didn't believe me. You thought it was an act."

"I know, I know. Can we eat, _please_?" Kate grabbed the water pitcher and started filling the glasses on the table.

Johanna grabbed Kate's arm when she returned to the kitchen. "In all seriousness, Kate, he's a great guy. He has a good heart, and the press loves him. You should be proud of yourself for what you did."

"Yeah." Kate sighed and looked at Castle, who was deep in conversation with her dad. "He did the work, I just know the right people." She tore her gaze from him and turned it back to her mom, who was smirking at her. "What?"

"Have you told him?"

Kate's brow furrowed. "Told him what?"

Johanna crossed her arms, her smirk growing into a smile. "Oh, Katie. You two remind me of your father and I when we started dating. Couldn't keep our hands off each other-"

"Mom!"

"-I couldn't stop looking at him or thinking about him." She leaned against the counter. "You're in love."

"I-" Kate paused, then sighed and shoved her hands in her pockets. "I don't know," she confessed, her voice quiet so it didn't carry into the living room. She really liked him, but, _love_? The desire to wake up with him every day, to have him be the last person she sees every night? She loved spending time with him, wanted him when they were apart. Every time they were together it was great, passionate. She simply couldn't get enough of him, physical and otherwise.

After Johanna called the men to the dinner table, Kate lifted her lips in a reassuring smile at Castle's inquisitive eyebrow raise. And after he pressed his lips to hers and asked if she was okay, smiling at her assurances that she was, she found herself missing his touch when he let go so he could sit across from her.

Love?

If she wasn't already, she mused, she was well on her way.

* * *

"You okay, Kate?"

Kate turned and smiled when Castle set his hand on her knee, and leaned over to brush a kiss to his cheek. "Yeah, I am. Just tired, a little nervous."

Castle squeezed her knee, his brows furrowed. "Nervous? You've come with me to events before."

"As your PR rep, though." She snuck her hand beneath his to curl her fingers around his. "Not as your girlfriend."

"True." He brushed a kiss against her cheek, pulling away when the limo pulled to a stop. "Ready?"

Kate was no stranger to events, having gone to plenty both alone and with someone. And she'd accompanied Castle on several in her brief tenure as Black Pawn's employee. But not only was this Castle's own book launch, he'd informed her that this was the first one in which is date wasn't just arm candy that would turn into a one night stand.

Plus, it was their first one as a couple. A very public couple.

Their first attempt at a real date had been a disaster. He'd tried to take her to dinner at a restaurant where he knew the owner, later explaining that he thought it would be discreet. He'd been spotted by a few patrons, however, who had demanded pictures and autographs, refusing to leave them alone until he complied. They hadn't stayed to eat dinner, instead getting their food to go and taking it back to her apartment

Later in the night, she'd assured him that it was one of the best dates she'd been on, after escaping the fans. They could be comfortable and relaxed; she'd even spilled wine on her dress, which Castle had taken great pleasure in peeling off her.

"Can't do this in a restaurant," she'd gasped when he'd settled between her legs.

Kate was shaken from her reverie by the car door opening, and Castle squeezed her hand once more before sliding out to meet the flashbulbs and reporters. She wiped her palms on her dress before taking his outstretched hand and following him out of the car.

"Are you two serious?"

"What's the nature of your relationship?"

"Care to comment on the rumors that you started sleeping together when she was employed by Black Pawn?"

"Is it true you're writing your next book about her?"

Kate's head snapped to look at Castle at the last question, but before she should pull him inside and grill him about it, he was speaking to the reporters.

"-is our business, and we ask that you respect our desire for privacy. While Kate has attended many public events in her career, long before we met, we would like to navigate our relationship without interference. Thank you, and be sure to purchase _Storm's Last Stand_ when it is released."

She followed him into the bookstore where the party was being held, hand firmly in his, but when he pulled her into a quiet corner she poked his chest. "What the hell was that about your next book?" she snapped.

Castle grinned and grabbed her finger. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Oh, I'm surprised, all right." She tugged her hand out of his grasp and crossed her arms. While, as a fan of his books she was excited, the reporter had suggested that the book would be about her. And that was most definitely _not_ something he'd mentioned. "What was he talking about?"

"Look, Kate, you know I've been struggling with the next Storm book." He glanced around before pulling her closer to the wall. "And you know I've been working on something new, a new character."

Kate just raised her eyebrows at him.

"She's kind of based on you."

"Kind of?"

"Can we talk about this later? I have a book to sell and asses to kiss." When Kate rolled her eyes and turned to join the party, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back. "Hey. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was waiting until I was done writing."

Kate pursed her lips and considered him. He did look concerned, his brows furrowed, and his thumb was brushing circles along the back of her hand. It was something he did to be comforting, and while she usually found it soothing, tonight she squeezed his hand to make him stop. "I wish you would have mentioned something before now. Buy me a drink to make up for it?"

Castle tugged her closer and leaned down to brush his lips at the corner of her mouth. "Of course. We'll talk?"

"Later." She followed him into the crowded room, where they chatted with a variety of attendees, from editors to other writers to the store employees. She continued to be amazed at his ability to talk to anyone about anything; he was excellent at small talk, his easygoing nature contagious. He was focused and engaged with everyone, and after a while she squeezed his hand before letting go, and mingling on her own.

"Kate!"

She turned at the sound of her name and saw Lanie with her apparently-on-right-now boyfriend, and she joined them at the bar. "Hey guys," she greeted them, ordering a vodka martini. "Enjoying the party?"

Javi signaled for a drink. "Yeah, your boy knows how to throw one. I'm not one for murder books, but if he keeps inviting me to these, I could learn to like them."

Kate glanced at Lanie in confusion. "I thought Black Pawn would have invited you?" While Kate hadn't been hired back by Black Pawn after the Gina fiasco, at Castle's insistence, they'd hired Lanie to finish out the pre-book release PR.

"Nope. Well, not before Castle invited Javi." Lanie shrugged. "It doesn't matter, we're here, aren't we?"

"Why did Rick-" Kate shook her head. "Never mind. I'm glad you're here. Add a little normalcy to this." She jumped when she felt a hand at her back, and when she turned to see Castle slide to her side, she nudged an elbow into his ribs. "I thought you were ass-kissing?"

"Kissing ass and taking names," Castle teased, plucking her drink from her hand and stealing a sip. "I'm glad you two made it," he said to Lanie and Javi.

"Free drinks and meeting famous people?" Javi chuckled. "You can follow me and Ryan around for years if this is how you bribe us."

Kate stepped away from her boyfriend's side so she could glare at him. "I'm sorry, what?"

Castle blushed. "We were going to talk about this later."

"Well, later is now." She crossed her arms. "You're following around Javi and his partner? As in, shadowing them at work? Where they solve _murders_?"

"Yeah, isn't it cool?"

"Castle."

"Okay." He guided Kate to sit at the bar, and signaled for drinks. "My new character is based on you, at least personality and looks-wise. She's smart, sensitive, sexy. She doesn't take no for an answer, which makes her perfect for her chosen career as homicide detective."

Kate narrowed her eyes. "Hence you following around the guys. You'll be careful, right?"

"Of course. They won't let anything happen to me."

"Unless you annoy us too much," Javi piped up from behind her.

Kate shot a glare back at him. "Not helping. Rick, does the word 'heat' have anything to do with this character of yours?" she asked, turning back to her boyfriend.

Castle grinned. "Yeah, it's her name. Nikki Heat. How'd you guess?"

"You're shitting me." Kate pinched the bridge of her nose to try and cut off the headache that was forming. "That's a stripper's name."

"No, it's a cop name, with great title potential. Just imagine: Summer Heat, Heat Wave, _In_ Heat."

Kate just scoffed and rolled her eyes at his excitement. Well, that explained the talking in his sleep, at least. "Rick-"

"Oh!" Castle jumped out of his seat and took Kate's hand. "Come here. I've been dying to introduce you to Dennis LeHane."

* * *

By the time they left the party it was late, so late that Kate almost fell asleep in the limo. As it was, she and Castle practically held each other up as they made the trek to his apartment. Neither of them had the energy to do anything besides change clothes and climb into bed. Even Castle's goodnight kiss, which usually led to something more, was chaste.

Kate let out a sigh when Castle pressed against her back and banded an arm around her waist. That was quickly becoming a favorite way to fall asleep; none of the guys she'd been with had been cuddlers, but with Castle behind her, it felt good. Right. And after her talk with her mom the previous week, she'd come to realize that her feelings for Castle had moved far past the "like" stage. She had no idea how Castle felt, besides liking her. She didn't know if or when he might get restless, or miss his playboy ways.

As she drifted off to sleep, she felt Castle's lips against the back of her head, his breath ruffle her hair with a whisper. She couldn't make out what he said, if anything, but her lips turned up in a smile and she snuggled even closer to him.

 _I love you._

"Kate?"

Her eyes popped open at the sound of his voice, soft, surprised. Shit, did she say that out loud? She turned to face him, inched back enough so she could see his face properly in the moonlight. He looked serious, his brows raised just a little bit, the fatigue gone from his eyes.

He reached a tentative hand to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing a path along the ridge of her cheekbone. "You...you love me?" he asked. His voice cracked on the last word and he sounded so small, so hopeful, that her eyes watered.

"Yes." She mirrored his pose, caressed the stubble on his cheeks; while he shaved more often now than when they'd first met, she loved when he let it grow for a few days. "I love you, Rick," she confirmed, little more than a whisper. "I don't know when it happened, and I can't explain how I know. I just...I love you."

Castle's grin lit up his face, the whole room, and he surged forward to capture her lips in his. "I love you too," he breathed when they parted, his forehead on hers. "Shit, Kate. I can't imagine what my life would be like without you." He kissed her again, slow and deep, nudging her to her back and chuckling when her hips lifted against his. "I love you. I love you so damn much."

She chased him when he pulled away, but when his hands worked their way under her top she grinned and helped him slip it off. "I thought you were too tired," she teased, echoing his lament from earlier.

Castle gave her a look, but the glint in his eye betrayed his true emotion. "The woman I love loves me back," he said, as if it was obvious. "I want to show her just how much I love her."

"I lo-" She gasped when he tugged her panties down and settled between her legs, his tongue sweeping along her. "Shit! Come here." She slid her fingers through his hair when he kissed her again, her mouth opening at the insistent press of his tongue.

"Say it again," Castle gasped against her cheek when they parted, and his lips trailed across her cheek, her nose, her chin. "Kate. Say it again."

"I love you," she breathed, arching when he slid into her. "I love you." They moved together seamlessly, bodies in a well-practiced dance. "I love you."

 **-FIN-**

* * *

 _A/N: And thus (finally) concludes my 2015 Winter Hiatus Ficathon entry! A_ _ _s always, I am eternally grateful to Callie, without whom this fic would never have seen the light of day. Her brainstorming has gotten me through many a block, whether a full chapter block or just a "what word am I looking for" block. Most of all, t_ hank you for the likes, follows, tweets, reviews, and most of all, for reading! _


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